Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

In the nighttime, he’s Adrien.  

Just a human-turned-vampire with a somewhat normal life. 

There’s something about him that his father knew. 

Cause he has a not-so-secret secret. 

Cat Walker leapt through the roofs of the city in high spirits, excitement evident in his pounding heart as he ran and leapt and ran. It was a tad bit cloudy, but that could hardly water down his joy. 

The city blurred around him at this speed, leaving a trail of wind in his wake. His boots clanked rapidly on the rooftops he ran on and Cat Walker could only hope that the residents under the roofs wouldn’t mind. It couldn’t be helped, he was in a hurry.  

The truth was that he barely managed to plead his way into being Cat Walker that night, so he was not going to waste any second of it. 

With that in mind, he made a beeline to the tallest building in the area, reaching for the baton attached to his back as he neared his destination. Despite weeks of disuse, he was glad to find that he hadn’t forgotten the sensation of having it in his hands. 

Praying that his skills hadn’t gotten too rusty, planted the extended baton onto the floor, using the momentum to vault himself skywards. 

The windows of the skyscraper blurred into glowing lines of white before finally clearing into a deserted rooftop. 

He hadn’t gotten too rusty, but he was definitely distracted. 

There was something peculiarly satisfying and natural about letting the momentum do its work, letting it bring him up to the top with a perfect arc drawn in the air. 

He landed face first onto the concrete rooftop for that distraction. 

Cat Walker knew that it was worth it, however, for he now got an unparalleled view of the bright, pearly moon- a phenomenon that only recurs twice a year. 

Its white light shone magnificently in the sky, veiling the cityscape with its ethereal light, a stark contrast to the usual blaring, blood red sky that stained the night. 

‘Claws In.’ He breathed, never once taking his eyes off the moon. 

The suit dematerialized around him, his ring turning back to its default silver. 

‘They say that the moon is like this every night on the human’s side.’ Cat Walker- now Adrien- talked to no one in particular. ‘Every night, do you believe that?’ 

… 

He kind of expected an answer. 

Yet nothing but the night wind answered him. 

Ah...right. There was no one there but him. 

What did he expect? Adrien asked himself almost satirically. There wasn’t anyone there but himself. Although he would be lying to say that he didn’t expect someone to answer, he just never knew who his subconscious wanted to talk to. It wasn’t the first time Adrien talked to no one in these ‘white moon visits’ either. There was that other time he talked aloud as Cat Walker. He just felt like his audiences shifted according to his identity, though there was no basis to this wild feeling.

He shook his head dismissively, refusing to let the silence ruin this precious evening. 

Without his suit covering almost all his skin, Adrien was able to feel more clearly the caress of the breeze and the chill of the night. The stars twinkled in the distance, reflecting off his green eyes-the only hint of his past as a half human. It was supposed to turn red as he Turned, yet it never did. 

He stood just like that, bathed in moonlight, savaging the white glow that wasn’t blood red, nor painful to look at. 

The moonlight that felt... comforting. 

That was when a wave of nostalgia hit him. 

But was it nostalgia when he doesn’t really remember a thing? He wondered idly. 

Or was it better to dub it as déjà vu? 

Whatever that was, it was something Adrien welcomed with open arms. 

Visions, sensations... he welcomed it all. 

The enrapturing melody of piano luring him to sleep... 

        Of gentle kisses and caresses upon his forehead... 

                The thrill of the chase... 

                        A different skyline, more enchanting and romantic... 

                                 The sound of his racing heartbeat... 

A mysterious girl... 

And many more that this whatever brought him. 

This was what he had hoped to feel when coming here, under the spot closest to the white moon, the closest thing he got to the world of humans......the closest thing he got to his human mother... and maybe his own time as a half human there. 

He felt his fingers twirling around the black stone that hung on his neck by a string. One that he must have been wearing before his Turn. He wished he knew how he got it.

Adrien never knew if he had ever spent time in the world of humans, or how long he stayed there- if he stayed there. He forgot it all the moment he became a full-fledged vampire- it was the price he had to pay for the species' strengths and powers. 

His father never made it clear to him why Adrien was Turned or if he ever spent time in his mother’s world. Gabriel wouldn’t give a straight answer no matter how many questions Adrien threw at him. 

His origin story aside, can’t the man at least tell him why he will die if he takes off his ring? Who was it that cursed or blessed him with the power of Cat Walker- that even his father couldn’t deny him from having it, in however limited ways? 

It was at this movement that Adrien’s phone rang with his father’s name displayed on the screen, snapping Adrien from his sea of unanswered questions.  

Speaking of the devil... 

Had he been lost in thought for that long? 

He stared at the phone like it offended him. The time on the corner of the device told him that he had indeed been lost in thought for quite a while. Did his father blindly call with the bet that Adrien’s detransformed? Cat Walker’s magical phone only does the dialing, not the receiving, after all. 

Not daring to keep his father waiting, though, Adrien answered the call without giving the above too much thought. 

‘Father?’ He greeted. 

‘Home, Adrien, now.’ 

Adrien’s blood ran cold. (Yes, contrary to most beliefs, he has warm blood)

It wasn’t Gabriel Agreste on the other side of the line, it was Nathalie. 

And Nathalie never called him with his father’s phone, not until that moment. 

Adrien forgot which affirmative word he answered Nathalie with before leaping off the rooftop, transforming mid-fall. 

Not once did he look back at the moon. 

As beautiful as it was, it does not understand the urgency that overtook Cat Walker. 

Nathalie was waiting for him in Adrien’s room when Cat Walker finally rushed home through the giant open windows. 

Adrien’s outings as Cat Walker were the only times his father would care to greet him when he got home. So seeing Gabriel not being there had Cat Walker’s already racing heart rate elevating. 

‘He’s in his bedroom.’ Nathalie answered the unspoken question, letting Cat Walker sped past her and out of his own room. 

He took the stairs three at a time until he found himself in front of Gabriel Agreste’s bedroom door. Without a second thought, he pushed the door open.

A single night lamp was what illuminated the tired yet stern face of Gabriel. Curtains were drawn and not a trace of the white light from the moon managed to seep through it. 

‘I thought I taught you how to knock.’ Despite lying on the bed, Gabriel never ceased to be any less commanding. 

He looked at Cat Walker, Cat Walker looked back. Red eyes bore into the teen’s forest green ones and Cat Walker does not need further prompting to know what was expected of him.  

‘Claws In.’ Adrien chanted. In his haste, he had forgotten how much his father would rather not see him as Cat Walker. 

‘How was the trip?’ Gabriel spoke with that same flat tone of his, though this time there were telltale signs of tiredness in them. 

‘It was...nice...’ Adrien answered accordingly, knowing better than to pry for the state of his father, as much as the sight of his father lying in bed worried him. 

‘I see.’ 

Gabriel was searching for something in Adrien’s answer, that much the teen had figured. His father never asks a question without a clear purpose, and that purpose was not a father attempting a casual conversation with his child. 

Whether Gabriel got his answer remains unknown to Adrien. Yet Adrien’s unasked question answered itself. 

Gabriel coughed furiously without warning, splattering scarlet droplets across the sheets. 

The teen rushed forward in alarm, only to be stopped by Gabriel’s outstretched hand keeping him at a distance. 

‘Mr. Agreste does not have much time left, Adrien.’ Nathalie spoke from behind him. 

Adrien had never turned his head to look at someone this fast before. How long had she been here? The teen would have wondered about such if it wasn’t for the terrifying news she threw at him. 

Someone should really have asked him to take a seat before announcing something like that, for Adrien felt like fainting. Although he had expected the worst when Nathalie called, that was not something ever wanted to hear.  

Everything aside, this man was still his father, and Adrien cares. Vampires have a longer lifespan than humans... so surely he doesn’t mean... 

Adrien couldn’t bring himself to clarify Nathalie’s words. 

‘Simply put’ As if the man can read his mind, Gabriel explained with a hoarse voice. ‘I am dying, Adrien.’ 

Adrien opened his mouth. 

Then closed it. 

Like a fish gasping for air. 

What should he even say? Vampires can die of old age, but Gabriel was nowhere near ‘old age’. The only conclusion Adrien came to was that it had to be some kind of illness. 

So what should he say? 

I’m sorry? Is it painful? How long has it been like this? How can I help? Can I even help? Is that why you kept me at a distance? 

‘Is there no cure?’ Was what Adrien's mouth decided to say, right before he winced at how desperate he sounded. The Agrestes are supposed to be composed with quick thinking. Adrien was neither at that moment.  

Yet for once, he wasn’t reprimanded for it. Perhaps Gabriel does understand the gravity of the situation, flat tone and all. Or was it just because the man was nearing his demise? Adrien sincerely hoped that it was the former. 

Gabriel and Nathalie shared a look meanwhile, a silent agreement passing between them. 

‘Ladybug- the Miraculous of the Ladybug’ Gabriel rasped. ‘That’s the cure. I wanted Nathalie to find it, but she cannot go to that world, not anymore.’ 

There was a lot to process for Adrien. For one, almost nothing in that sentence made sense. 

But... 

‘You want me to go find it.’ Adrien dared to guess. 

Chapter Text

Such were the commands replaying in Cat Walker's head as he stepped through the portal.

His boots landed on metal, stirring dust up into the stale air. Natural light from the skylight above him only barely managed to seep through. Though the dim lighting hardly hindered his sharp eyes from spotting the long, metal bridge before him. 

Despite his effort to walk lightly, his footsteps still echoed loudly in the grand chamber as he walked across the bridge. Falling to his demise before he even left the first chamber was not permitted for an Agreste, nor a cat that should land on their feet. Yet Cat Walker was convinced that that would happen any second, for the place was totally abandoned and rusting away as he spoke. 

After what felt like forever on the bridge like a victim atop the plank of a pirate boat, he finally reached the other end. A single, circular platform awaited him, only barely visible beneath the greenery. 

Nathalie had told him that this platform used to act as a lift, but it was too risky to test if it was still working. So instead, the assistant had told him to look for a hidden set of stairs towards the right. 

With how high the ceiling was, Cat Walker wasn’t eager to find out how many flights of stairs he would have to climb, as much as he loves to move his body. 

It took a bit of rummaging around and feeling the wall, but he soon felt the outlines of what must be a door. Swatting the overhanging stems apart, the decayed handle came into view, which he twisted with the utmost care he could muster, in fear that it would fall off with how rusty it was. It creaked terribly in the silence before revealing the spiral staircase from behind. 

Cat Walker took a peek inside and soon lost count of how many spirals up the stairs till it reached the top. No natural light can be seen from the closed off exit above and the emergency lights installed by the narrow walls had long ceased to function. He was only able to see such with his night vision. 

With a deep breath, he started his ascent. Last night’s events with his father and Nathalie replying in his mind as he prepared himself to face the world of humans. 

The world where the Miraculouses reside. The world where miracles were made possible.  

Where wounds, no matter how severe, could be healed with a single chant of a spell by the user of the Ladybug Miraculous.  

‘Find the user and seek their help.’ was the task that rested on Cat Walker’s shoulders.  

He stopped underneath a hatch. This was it, the last thing he had to push through to get to the ground floor. He gave it a gentle push. It did not move an inch.  

He pushed harder.  

It did not budge. 

Blocked. He noted as a few more attempts failed to get it moving. 

He debated if he should use Cataclysm on whatever’s on the other side of the hatch- if he could slip his hands through the door that was. But using it this early on wasn’t optimal, Cataclysm drains his life-saving-ring to do so after all, and this situation hardly counts as an emergency.  

That was the remaining option then... 

He placed his hands on the hatch once more. This time, however, a hue of red overtook his green eyes as he drew from all the strength gifted to him as a vampire. The stairs beneath him protested louder the harder he pushed. Cat Walker was beginning to fear that the stairs would collapse when the hatch got uncovered. 

Once he was out, he let down the pile of rubble with a thud, then immediately regretted it as dust got sent into the air, choking him. 

Walking a small distance away from the lifted dust, Cat Walker looked around him. No wonder it took so much out of him to lift a single hatch, the rubble was massive now that he gave it a proper look. It must have been a ceiling or a wall that fell on the exit, piled under fallen pillars that once held the building together. 

The place was clogged with fog and dust, making it difficult to see the details, but he was willing to bet that this was the ruins of a mansion from the looks of it. Faded tiles of what may have been the foyer gave way to the vegetation sprouting through the cracks, two thirds of the second floor had collapsed and the stairs leading up to it had crumbled. Broken pilers exposed the rebars to the elements and a bent fence can be seen through the gaping hole in the wall. 

Not wanting to stay in the ruins that blocked his objective, he leapt onto the steadiest looking pillar he could find, hoping to get a view of the city. 

Adrien had seen pictures of the human world. Only a selected few and highly privileged academics could come here through a central, monitored portal. That was where the precious snapshots came from, and since the portal’s collapse, there weren’t new photos to go around with anymore. Hence Adrien’s initial surprise when Nathalie showed him to that small, glowing door not long ago. 

In any other day, Cat Walker would have asked exactly how his father got hold of such a portal when the original one had been sealed off by government officials. That day was not the day. He had a task at hand and a world to explore. 

Gabriel never told Adrien just which picture contained the place her mother lived in, or if those pictures captured mother’s home-world at all. The only thing Adrien did know was that it would be where the portal was going to send him to. He lost himself in countless daydreams of what his mother’s birthplace looked like. It ranged from a cozy town in the countryside to a busy city crowded with skyscrapers. 

It could really be anything as long as it was bathed in the lights of the white moon at night. It just never occurred to the teen that ‘anything’ also included the decayed ruins of human settlements. 

He was therefore in a state of utter shock as the ruins of Paris greeted him. 

Nathalie might have briefed him on the state of the place, but he didn’t think that it would be this bad. He had thought that the ruins he came out in were an exception, only a remote place for him to enter the world of humans without drawing attention. It had not come to him that this was what the rest of the city would also look like. 

The place was clogged with even more fog, obscuring the moonlight and blurring the desolated landscape. A single street light flickered in the distance, the rest either fallen or broken. Nature burst from potted plants and fenced parks, extending their way onto the pavement. 

He took a map from the pouch attached to his belt- the only bag he brought with him. The major landmark Nathalie marked on it, the Eiffel Tower, was luckily still somewhat intact enough to serve as the North Star. Although the sight of it pained Cat Walker to look at. Its shadow under the obscured moonlight barely captured the glory shown in the old photographs. The top section of the tower had been chopped off like butter by a knife, missing metals that littered throughout the tower disrupted the supposedly iconic cross hatching silhouette. This was what had become of the city his mother lived in. Cat Walker could not imagine the heartache he would most likely feel had he seen the city in its former glory with his own eyes.  

Alas, there was no time to lament. His guardians had pinpointed a few possible locations in Paris he may find Ladybug in, and it was best if he started on one right away, preferably before the sun’s out—

He leapt sideways for the second floor out of pure instinct, just in time to dodge the handle of a dagger aimed at him. Gabriel mentioned that there would be pursuers on his heels, but for them to find him this soon? No one warned him about that. 

During mid jump, he eyed the figure that had ambushed him, they wore a black cloak that covered all their body from head to toe, complete with a hood that gave away zero information about themselves. Alone, as far as Cat Walker could tell. There weren’t any other movements he could pick up with his ears at the moment, although it was still too early to draw any solid conclusions, his night outs as Cat Walker had taught him that much.

He landed on the second floor with the fragile flooring trembling, sending loose concrete falling onto the ground floor. The figure did not hesitate to jump after him, dagger still held tight in their gloved hand. 

To his surprise and dismay, and maybe a hint of amazement, the figure landed before him with ease. In fact, they were so light on their feet that they created way less shaking than Cat Walker did, not to mention the huge jump that they made. 

It wasn’t a particularly hard jump per se, but it definitely was for a human, at least that was the concept his guardians gave him. So were they human or vampire? 

That was not a question Cat Walker had the luxury to ponder on, for the figure wasted no time charging at him with astonishing speed. 

Wanting to put distance between them to buy time, Cat Walker extended his baton, aiming it at the figure in the dead centre, too low to dodge and too high to jump over. And with how narrow the intact flooring was, dodging sideways would not be an option for the ambusher without falling downstairs. 

With that in mind, he had the baton cut through the fog. His aim was dead-on. However, the figure leapt upwards at the last possible moment, legs centimetres above his baton, much to Cat Walker’s shock. There was little that was left of the third floor, and whatever's intact was too far out of reach for them, not even Cat Walker was confident that he could make the jump without drawing on his powers.  

The third floor wasn’t what the figure was leaping for, however.

By the time he realised that, the figure had already landed squarely on the baton, finding perfect balance if they belonged there. 

The added weight had his hands shaking in effort, the discoloured floor cracking in warning. The figure wasn’t finished though, cleverly turning the perfect landing into a perfect take off. 

The force knocked the baton up and out of his hands, forcing Cat Walker to step backwards in order to avoid getting knocked in the chin by his own weapon. Instead of crippling fear, he was surprised by the wave of awe that rushed through him that moment. 

A moment that was cut apart by the dagger through the haze. The figure was going to land it on him while he was still unarmed. 

In a split-second decision, Cat Walker had his knees give out, lowering himself enough to grab his baton. The figure was closing in now and his baton was too long for him to make a proper swing--

He willed it to split into half. Waiting for it to shrink would take too long, so splitting it it was. With no time to waste, he angled his halved baton to face the dagger head on.  

Bright sparks danced off their weapons as they clashed, locking them in a temporary stalemate, their hands trembling as they held their respective grounds. 

At this proximity, Cat Walker was able to confirm his guess, the scent gave it away. Although there were faint scents of vampires on the figure, the unknown scent of what must be a humans’ was what his nose picked up the most. 

However, their strength was too inhuman for Cat Walker to make such a claim with confidence. His transformation into Cat Walker and the basics of a vampire’s strength easily made him stronger against average humans, that was what Nathalie had told him. He also knew from fighting burgers and petty crimes in his home city that his own skills were definitely not that of amateurs. 

Yet it was only when his eyes glowed red from drawing fully from his vampiric strength did he felt like he stood a chance against the figure. 

With that strength, he broke the stalemate, knocking the dagger out of their gloved hand. 

They’re now unarmed.  

Seizing the window of opportunity, Cat Walker swung his baton while the figure’s hand was empty. 

He did not expect it to hit empty air. 

Technically, it did not hit empty air, it hit the figure’s cloak, but just the cloak. 

That person had swung the loose piece of fabric at him, blocking his vision. 

A swift, distracted moment was all it took for the figure to get behind him and sweep him off his feet. The loss of balance was more than enough to have Cat Walker fall through the gaping hole on the floor. 

It was only thanks to his enhanced body that he hit the concrete without anything more than a bruise. 

He ignored the brief disorientation he felt and glanced up at the figure looking down on him from the second floor.

Dim moonlight was shining on the figure’s long, midnight blue hair and bluebell eyes.

Both of them were panting from the fight, evident from puffs of white smoke they breathed out. It brought just a bit of comfort to Cat Walker knowing that at least he tired her out, however little that may be. 

His ambusher may have the higher ground now, but there was some distance between them at last. If she wanted to get him, she would have to come down herself, and they both knew that full well. 

Despite being unarmed with nothing but his strength and skills. It was his chance. 

There will be people who want your ring.  

You can’t blame them.  

They wanted their dead hero back.  

The previous owner of your ring, your lifesaver.  

Gabriel had told him what he could do when he got ambushed, laying down different scenarios and their counter measures. Now was the time to use it.

‘You masked your scent well. But I believe that you’re human? As crazy as those feats were?’ Cat Walker spoke up while trying to even out his breathing.  

Seconds of silence filled the air. 

Then, a subtle nod from the girl, barely visible through the fog. 

‘I believe then, that we’re on the same side, if you could just let me prove it to you.’ Cat Walker continued, hand reaching for the pocket on his suit. 

She was on full alert even more so than before, legs posed to jump at any incoming threats. He kept his eyes on hers, like a man would when facing off a predictor. 

The unzipping of his pockets never sounded so clear. 

He felt her burning gaze on him as he slipped his hand inside. 

That night, Gabriel had, with shaking hands, retrieved it from the bottom of his locked drawer and placed the broken pieces of jewellery onto Adrien’s equally shaking ones.   

‘This... and your ring, will hopefully be your proof of loyalty to the humans and the heroine...’   

Cat Walker pulled it out from his pocket and opened his palm to reveal the shattered pieces of said jewellery. 

The broken purple stone and the accompanying white shards were painfully stark in contrast against the black of his suited hand. Weak magenta sparks emitted from the jewel in its futile attempt to heal itself. 

The Miraculous of the Butterfly.  

No further words were needed. She recognised the piece of jewellery. 

Just as Gabriel predicted his ambushers would. 

The girl’s eyes stared in disbelief at first, then widened in shock. Her hand had gone to grasp her own shirt as if her life depended on it, out of what Cat Walker assumed was out of subconscious. 

Wanting to take a closer look, the girl leapt off the second floor, landing with a roll as she hit the foyer, approaching his outstretched hand with caution. Cat Walker had his free hand half opened in the air, enough to show that there was nothing there while not completely exposing his ring. 

She slowed her approach two steps before him, her retrieved dagger held firmly on her lowered hand. 

Cat Walker did not dare to breathe any louder, even though his heart was pounding painfully fast from the adrenaline, demanding more air. He had the feeling a single misstep at this point could end up with him in a terrible position. 

The girl only clenched her shirt tighter as she neared him, eyes moving from him to the precious remains of the Miraculous on his opened hand. 

Cat Walker kept close eyes on hers the entire time, and was able to tell the exact moment she believed that the jewel in his hands was the real deal. 

She moved her eyes from the shards to bore into his green ones, fierce blue eyes almost glowing in the dark. 

‘Where’s Chat Noir?’ She questioned, speaking for the first time since their... meeting, voice half muffled by her own mask, yet still as threatening. 

It’s now or never. Thought Cat Walker. 

'He’s...gone... traded his life for Hawk Moth’s defeat.’ He spoke simply. 

‘So you took his ring from his body?’ If those blue eyes weren’t burning before, they were now, demanding further explanation. 

Cat Walker winced internally, too ridden with guilt to notice the tremor in her voice. 

‘I’m afraid that I cannot give more information. I came in peace to deliver the details to Ladybug herself, and only her. I would be grateful if you could point me in that direction.’ He replied with more steadiness in his voice than he thought possible. 

‘Finally, don’t forget to tell them that...’ Gabriel had instructed between coughs.  

‘I am deeply sorry for Paris’ loss.’ Cat Walker spoke with his eyes casted downwards, as his script asked him to. 

‘And I’m supposed to believe you?’ She spat. 

‘This,’ Cat Walker glanced at the jewellery for emphasis ‘and my ceasefire are the only things I can offer. Please make do with it.’ 

A long pause of silence followed, broken only by the sound of their breathing. 

If the girl decided then and there to attack now, Cat Walker would have no choice but to knock her out and make a run for it. If she wasn't providing pointers, then he would turn to the map. There was no need to mingle with his own ambusher any longer than he already had. But the girl had other plans. 

‘Partner up with me.’ She requested.

‘I beg your pardon?’ He spluttered. 

‘Ladybug went missing long ago, I was the final witness.’ She gave out the most mind-blowing information in the most nonchalant tone, unaware of the bombs she was setting off in Cat Walker’s mind. ‘I’m looking for her myself as well.’ 

‘And I’m supposed to take it at face value?’ 

‘Do you know how I tell the real deal from a fake one?’ She eyed the shattered Miraculous on his palm before reaching into the bandana she wore. ‘Or how I managed those jumps?’ 

Cat Walker felt his eyes narrow in warning, hands tightening in fear of another surprise attack. 

Luckily, that never came. 

She drew from the bandana some kind of accessory. It was shaped suspiciously like the earrings of the activated Ladybug Miraculous but magnified, attached with a string that had let her wear it like a necklace.  

She took it off gingerly before holding it near the Miraculous of the Butterfly. 

Cat Walker couldn’t take his eyes off it as magic flared around both accessories, repelling one another as they went, lighting up the area. Even with his magically gloved hand, he could feel the growing heat blazing through.

‘Let’s trade accessories.’ She proposed, withdrawing her charm before it could burn both their hands. ‘The magical charm gifted to me by Ladybug herself, for the broken Miraculous. Even with the Butterfly Miraculous, it can’t fully prove your innocence, can’t it? And if I’m too far away from the charm, I lose its protection.’ 

When Cat Walker continued to stare as he processed the information, the girl spoke up once more, pulling her bandana down as she did so. 

‘This and my ceasefire are the only things I can offer. Please make do with it.’ 

Cat Walker was thinking. For crying out loud he was thinking . 

This development was not something Cat Walker expected to happen. 

His father was on his way to meet Death.  

Was this shortcut worthy?  

The girl had offered him a magical charm.  

But she had attacked him head on right from the start.  

Would she just give away something she wore on her neck this easily?  

What if she takes the Butterfly Miraculous and disappears?  

He weighed them all in his head, ignoring the silence that had stretched on for way too long. 

Is losing the Butterfly Miraculous a risk he can handle? 

Retrieve that earring at all costs but your life.  

The command echoed in his mind. 

‘Deal.’ Cat Walker decided. 

‘Marinette.’ She introduced belatedly as she held the charm up for exchange. ‘Pleased to make your acquaintance.’ 

‘Cat Walker.’ He returned, placing the Butterfly Miraculous in her awaiting hand as she placed the charm in his. ‘Likewise.’

There was no turning back now.

Chapter Text

‘So... you said that you were the last witness?’ Cat Walker asked once they pocketed each other’s accessories. 

‘Yes, she was last seen with the Guardians the night the portal collapsed.’ Marinette answered, ‘you know who the Guardians are right?’ 

Cat Walker nodded. 

Gabriel and Nathalie had mentioned them, the Order that used to keep the Miraculouses. Those who were most likely to go after his ring, but also those who are most likely to know where Ladybug was. 

‘But the portal incident was almost two years ago.’ He stated. 

‘And no witness of her since then, not according to the sources I got at hand.’ 

That matched what Gabriel had told Adrien. At least this Marinette girl doesn’t seem to be leading him the wrong way, Cat Walker observed. 

‘And the Guardians?’ 

‘They’ve been elusive, but there are witnesses. I initially thought that you could be one of them when I ambushed you earlier.’ 

‘You’d attack a Guardian?’ Cat Walker exclaimed, although his exclamation was half used to hide the relief that Marinette probably hadn’t seen him emerge from the rubbles, he couldn’t have people know about the portal. 

‘I’d question one, I’m looking for Ladybug too if you recall.’ Marinette explained. 

‘So where do we go from here?’ 

‘First, your staff.’ She said simply, reminding Cat Walker of the poor baton left split in two on the floor above. 

Before Cat Walker could blush in embarrassment of having forgotten his own weapon, Marinette had already pulled the bandana back onto her face and leapt from the foyer. 

Not wasting another second, he jumped after her. 

‘We’ll go where trouble is.’ Marinette threw one half of the staff at him once he arrived ‘More precisely, where vampires are causing troubles in.’ 

Cat Walker caught the staff while bending to retrieve the other one. ‘Vampires?’ 

‘The Guardians are fixated on your kind you see,’ Marinette explained ‘something about Miraculouses initially being created to battle vampires on equal footing in the old days, hence making vampires their business.’ 

Cat Walker gulped at the mention, wondering why hadn’t his own Miraculous repelled him when it was put on him. And the reason why Marinette hadn’t slit his throat upon seeing his eyes glow scarlet. 

‘And what trouble did the vampires stir up?’ He asked carefully.  

He was aware that some vampires crossed the portal illegally during the night of its collapse, it was general knowledge. But the news never made the details clear, only the fact that the illegal trespassing reintroduced humans to the existence of vampires for the first time in centuries. 

‘The classics you’d see in movies-’ Marinette paused midway, noticing her mistake. ‘Human movies at least... I don’t think you know, you came through a portal recently, haven’t you?’ 

Cat Walker almost choked on the fog. That was a rhetorical question. She knew . Did she see? Probably not, she wouldn’t mistake him for a Guardian if she saw, then how- 

‘You were looking at a map.’ The girl answered the unasked question. ‘Two years’ time should be enough to memorise the layouts of the city.’ 

‘I’m not going to ask about the new portal if that’s what you’re worried about.’ She added in reassurance when Cat Walker continued gaping at her. 

He wasn’t reassured. 

‘But back to the question, they’d raid anything that has to do with human blood. Temporary hospital storages, kidnappings, anywhere they can get their hands on those blood. That’s the trouble they’re stirring up.’ 

He chose not to say a word on the matter or how cold her eyes looked. As a vampire himself, Cat Walker knew better than to comment on that. 

‘So there you have it.’ Marinette concluded, picking up her previously discarded cloak from the messy floor ‘just one question from me, do you need to drink blood for survival?’ 

Not expecting the turn of topic, Cat Walker took a moment to process the question before answering with carefully chosen words. 

‘Not necessarily,’ He started, ‘we do drink blood but we can do just fine with regular food.’  

The vampires that came here are not doing what they did for survival, it was just for fun. Was what he implied. These trespassers were just like those criminals who did the same to unlucky passersby in Cat Walker’s own city. 

‘I believe that you’re prepared to fight your own kind when you come here.’ Marinette spoke as she patted the dust off her cloak, giving no time for Cat Walker to reply before continuing, ‘We’re going to raid the black spots.’ 

Cat Walker had, in fact, prepared for this. He had combated crime in his own city. It wasn’t something he initially planned to do but something he ended up doing. He just couldn’t stand aside and watch when there was a crime happening in bold moonlight. 

‘Show the way.’ 

The rooftops felt both familiar and unfamiliar under his touch. A distant sense of déjà vu hitting him as he parkoured his way through the foreign city. 

Marinette wasn’t joking when she told him to keep up the best he can, she was practically a blur of black speeding through the skyline. The new info about blood drinking must have urged her to head to the destination as fast as possible. 

Not far behind was Cat Walker memorising the steps she took while being cautious not to trip on uneven or broken platforms, the city had been in dire need of repair for nearly two years after all. 

What caught his attention was how deserted the city was. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that the main streets were deprived of people. Either that or they were all good at hiding their presences. 

It was a bit over ten minutes into their parkouring when they stopped rather abruptly on a rooftop balcony looking no different from the others, at least, no different in Cat Walker’s eyes at least. 

Marinette knelt, hiding herself amongst the heap of junk discarded near them before carefully peeking over the roof. He followed, eyeing the alleyway below. 

 
Minutes passed and only a thin layer of stale fog greeted them. 

‘Not here.’ She observed, more to herself than to her partner, then leapt off said rooftop balcony to another one. 

Swiftly, he leapt after her. 

There was something oddly familiar about him sprinting after Marinette on the rooftops. And Cat Walker might have noticed this if he wasn’t occupied with taking caution not to bump into said girl when she stopped in her tracks without warning. 

‘You... do this every night?’ Cat Walker asked quietly as they perched themselves on yet another rooftop overlooking an alleyway. 

‘Not every night, but close enough...’ Came her brief reply, just over a whisper in the night wind. 

Not one for many chats then. Cat Walker guessed. Then again, they were on a mission. 

It was on the seventh stop when they spotted moving shadows from down below. Even from atop the building, Cat Walker could smell the blood that stung the air, the tangy scent mixing with the fog. But there was no need to notify Marinette, for she already had her dagger in the ready. 

Both were smart enough to stand by as they observed the scene. 

No Guardians in sight, but there was definitely trouble brewing down in the alleyway. One look was enough for them to tell as such. 

Three vampires. Two victims. 

The duo had ran into a typical drink-and-run in live action, a woman and a boy were getting fed on, fresh blood streaming down their exposed necks. 

The duo scanned the front and back of the alley, no one’s standing guard other than the third vampire who watched the feeding in twisted delight. 

‘Do you think you can knock down the one with the boy?’ Marinette breathed, barely audible with the bandana covering her face. ‘I’ll go for the spectating one.’ 

Cat Walker nodded. 

‘We’ll improvise from there. The main focus is getting the victims away from them, we can’t have hostages.’ Marinette instructed, fitting into the role of the commanding one. 

‘On three?’ Cat Walker asked. 

‘Yeah, we go on three.’ She affirmed.  

Cat Walker split his baton to two, green eyes turning red as he aimed at the unsuspecting vampire. Beside him, Marinette had her dagger pointed towards the one on guard duty. All was silence other than the muffled screams from the victims. 

The second Marinette counted to three, she threw her dagger downwards, striking the vampire squarely in the neck. Blood spurted from the wound upon impact, drawing the attention of all living beings in the scene. 

Before the two standing vampires could recover from the shock, Cat Walker landed his baton on the back of one’s head. 

Slacked hands fell from the boy’s trembling form as his attacker lost consciousness, bloodied fangs slipping out of the child’s injured neck. 

By the time the last standing vampire pulled her fangs from the woman, Marinette was already halfway down the fire escape from the rooftop, cloak fluttering behind her. 

‘You.’ She spat upon spotting Marinette. 

A chill ran down Cat Walker as he realised that the other vampire was grinning, but he would have to store that information away as he landed before the boy. The focus was to get the victims away from their attackers after all.

Marinette made no comment to the vampire’s grin as she slashed at the creature, only to be caught by her target’s bare hands. 

‘What do you think you’re doing, my famous little vigilante? I have a woman as my hostage.’ She smirked at Marinette. The clawed hand holding the blade in place was bleeding, blood trickling down the injury as she spoke, but the vampire paid it no mind. 

Their target was right however, her other hand had the woman in a death grip, the latter’s weakened fingers scraping desperately around the clawed hand that was choking her neck. 

‘Let her go this instant.’ Marinette’s voice was dangerously low, arm trembling in effort as she pushed on. 

‘Or what?’ The other challenged. 

Cat Walker picked that second to aim his baton at the female vampire’s head, his free hand holding the boy close meanwhile. 

The female vampire cursed, letting go of the woman at the last second, narrowly avoiding a blow to the head. 

Marinette seized the moment to dash for the victim. 

‘Traitor.’ The creature snapped her head at Cat Walker, only needing one sniff in the air to tell his status. 

Cat Walker retracted his staff to hold it close to his person. ‘Right back at you.’ He spat, not a hint of mirth in his tone. 

‘Duck!’

Cat Walker heeded Marinette's warning just in time to dodge a claw going at his blind spot, cradling the boy close as he leapt aside. It was the vampire he thought he had knocked out earlier. No, he did knock him out, the latter just recovered. 

‘Missed.’ His attacker clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction. But a quick glance later, his frown twisted into a smirk ‘...or not...’ 

They were surrounded, Cat Walker realised with dread, each end currently blocked by a vampire. With how narrow the alley was, the only way out was to go for the fire escape beside them. But Cat Walker doesn’t want to bet if they could carry two injured citizens while escaping two vampires. 

‘I’m disappointed.’ The female vampire spoke once she was sure of the advantage she held in her hands. ‘I’ve heard so much about you and the vampires you single handedly took down.’ She peered at her fallen comrade, dagger still stuck in his neck. 

They all know that fallen vampire would survive the wound, vampires were that strong. But it doesn’t mean that the healing process would be any less agonising. 

The woman and the boy were whimpering again. Cat Walker couldn’t imagine what they must be feeling. 

‘Are you this weak when partnered up with someone?’ The female vampire continued. 

‘Can you walk?’ Marinette asked the woman in her arms, completely ignoring the question. 

‘Should be able to manage that...’ The woman croaked feebly. 

‘Ignoring me aren’t you?’ The female creature teased in a rather playful tone, though her smirk doesn’t reach anywhere near her eyes. 

The vampire blocking Cat Walker’s exit growled in warning. 

‘Don’t ignore my commander.’ 

‘So you’re a commander?’ Marinette finally turned her attention from the woman to the said commander. 

‘What of it?’ The commander demanded, patient wearing thinner by the moment. 

‘I’ve hit the jackpot it seems.’ Marinette spoke icily. 

Before the commander could question the meaning of that, she fell to the floor without another word, clutching her heart with blackened hands. 

Poison.  

‘Madam!’ 

Marinette and the woman were already dashing for the opening, sprinting past the fallen commander when the remaining vampire snarled. 

Cat Walker took it as his queue to get out as well, leaping after her with the boy clinging onto his neck. 

But they won’t be fast enough, not with their hands full and a clearly angered vampire hot on their trails. Marinette and Cat Walker both knew that. So why-  

‘On the fire escape! Now!’ Marinette commanded. 

Somehow, Cat Walker didn’t misinterpret her request. He understood exactly what she meant. Just how much did she know about the Miraculouses? 

It doesn’t matter now. 

CATACLYSM.  

He chanted the spell in his head. 

Mere moments later, black and purple particles sparked in his right hand as Cataclysm flared to life, right on time for him to swipe it at the fire escape mid jump. 

The last standing vampire’s string of curses were cut short as the three-story staircase fell his way. 

However, Cat Walker doesn’t have time to celebrate their escape when a series of watery cough escaped his mouth without warning. He barely had the time to place the child on his feet before bending over to ride the coughing fit out. 

‘Cat!’ Marinette skidded to a halt by an abandoned corner on the street. The woman, too, turned over with concern in her eyes. 

‘M’fine.’ Cat Walker wiped the splatter of scarlet off his hands before anyone could see. ‘Where to?’ 

‘...Depends. Don’t you need to detransform?’ Marinette chose not to comment on the obvious change of subject. It was too dangerous to stay any longer than absolutely needed. 

‘No.’ The reply came out harsher than Cat Walker expected. But how dare she ask him to do what Gabriel and Nathalie specifically told him not to? 

Marinette stared at him for a moment as if she heard it wrong, but she ultimately turned to their rescues. ‘Are you two family?’  

The woman shook her head sadly.  

‘The child was already with the vampires when I got kidnapped.’ 

‘To the safehouse then. We’re too far away from other options.’ Marinette decided swiftly, reaching into her cloak to draw out cotton pads to shove them at the two civilians. ‘Press them on the wound meanwhile.’

They were careful in making sure that they were not tailed by anyone as they headed to their destination. Marinette had gone as far as to spray them from head to toe with scent concealers. It was already dangerous enough not to take the route on the rooftops where potential enemies got little place to hide. Not a word was passed between them throughout, in fear of drawing unwanted attention. You never know who may be nearby, enemy or help alike. 

Cat Walker choked down the urge to cough as they traversed the city, coughing was out of the question when they were supposed to be noiseless. 

It was around fifteen minutes in when they arrived at the back door of a somewhat intact building. 

Cat Walker took the initiative to stand guard, making sure for one last time that no one’s around. Only when he gave them a thumbs up did Marinette pressed on the yellowed doorbell. 

It did not ring. 

But it seems that Marinette hadn’t expected it to, for she leaned towards the doorbell and whispered to the hidden microphone underneath. 

'Adoration, five hundred and seventeen.’ 

A code. 

Half a minute later, a girl opened the door, ushering her guests in without another word. 

It wasn’t until the double door was shut and locked that any of them dared to let go of the breaths they were holding. 

They then spent the next minute standing in awkward silence as Marinette finally lifted her hood and shared a heartfelt hug with the girl. Words were whispered between the two and Cat Walker consciously shut his advanced hearing down so as not to eavesdrop on accident. Instead, he chose to look around the house. It was dim inside, lit only by a single camping light that sat between the living room and dining room, lightbulbs long gone from the ceiling. A simple living room and dining room was in sight with a stair leading to what he assumed would be the bedrooms. Faded wallpapers lined the walls, connecting with the carpeted floor. 

Cat Walker barely completed his onceover of the house when the two girls gently pulled away from one another to face their guests once more. 

‘I wish we’ve met under better circumstances but please make yourselves at home. I’m Zoe.’ Their host introduced. 

‘Marinette.’ Marinette followed with a small smile, pulling off her bandana. 

It then occurred to Cat Walker that due to the situation, none of them know each other’s names. 

‘Ilia.’ The woman spoke. 

‘C-colin.’ The little boy stammered. 

‘Cat Walker.’ He spoke at last, very conscious of the eyes fixated on him, him and the right hand he wore his ring on. 

‘You’re not Chat Noir?’ Colin asked almost right after, blissfully unaware that he had asked the burning question of everyone in the room, other than Marinette of course. 

‘Let’s just say that I’m his stand-in.’ Cat Walker picked the vaguest answer his mind cooked up, believing that none of them were in the condition to listen to the tragedy of Chat Noir. 

Colin looked like he wanted to ask more, but Zoe ushered him to the living room to patch up his bite wounds before he could voice his question. The woman followed after them with slightly staggering steps, though not without giving her sincere thanks to the new duo beforehand. 

A few extra candles were lit for a slightly better lighting as Zoe brought up the first aid kit. 

Cat Walker sat stiffly on a chair in the dining room while Zoe tended to Colin and Ilia on the couch, extremely aware of the scent of blood that wafted the air. He was in perfect control of his bloodlust, but that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t find it tempting. 

He reached for his pouch before his thoughts could wander any further, digging for the vials of blood that his guardians had prepared for him. He really should have drunk them outside when he had the chance to when on look out earlier.  

His hand closed in on two vials, one that acted as food and one that was more potent for his... post-Cataclysm recovery.  

Unfortunately for him, that was when Marinette sat beside him with two bottles of water taken from the kitchen.

He pulled his hand from the pouch without taking the vial out. It goes without saying that he much preferred that no one’s around when he downs them. He and Marinette may be in a truce now, however, he had no interest in baring such a major weakness to the girl. 

‘It’s the price of using Cataclysm isn’t it.’ Marinette cut straight to the chase as she handed him the bottle.  

They both knew that she was referring to his coughing fit. 

It really wasn’t his lucky day it seemed. It also doesn’t help that his body decided to put him into another coughing fit that moment. 

‘I don't recall chanting the spell out loud.’ Cat Walker wiped the blood off his lips once he was done. Just how much does Marinette know about the workings of the Miraculous? More specifically, his? 

‘Chat Noir used to chant it out loud, anyone who watched the news feed would know.’ Marinette explained ‘But Cataclysm doesn’t drain him like that.’ 

‘Maybe it’s not about Cataclysm then.’ He retorted, a hint of annoyance in his tone. 

The small chatter in the living room died down upon hearing the duo’s discussion, no doubt wanting to listen in. 

‘I am confident that I can list the evidence.’ Marinette spoke ‘But there’s no point to that. I just want to apologise for asking you to use it. I wouldn’t have asked that of you if I had known.’ She slid a paper towel across the table. 

Cat Walker was speechless at that. She made it clear that she was convinced that it was Cataclysm at fault and she was not wrong with that guess. 

Keeping him alive was already enough work for that ring on his finger, transforming into Cat Walker for too long overworks it and using Cataclysm hit its limits. 

Marinette doesn’t need to know that. She already knew enough. 

But Cat Walker took the towel anyway, wiping the blood off his hands. 

‘I would have used it anyways given the situation.’ He said at last. 

‘...Baguette?’ Marinette offered as she pulled it from the drawer under the table. 

‘Yes, please.’ Cat Walker accepted both the pastry and the change of subject, appreciating the fact that she did not push any further. 

He’ll save the vials for later use, he decided as he bit on the bread. The coughing wasn’t that serious. If they were going to raid more black spots in the future and jump head first into danger, he would definitely have to use Cataclysm again, sooner or later. For now, regular food would have to do. 

‘Anyone else?’ Marinette turned to ask the other occupants in the house. 

‘I’m good. Just sleep will do for now.’ said Ilia. 

‘In a moment.’ Zoe answered, ‘I’m almost done dressing the wounds.’ 

‘No thank you, I have my sweets!’ Colin beamed. 

The air stilled. 

‘Sweets?’ Zoe stopped applying antiseptic on Ilia’s shoulders to look at Colin properly. Paris was in shambles for nearly two years, sweets were rare, even with the supplies brought in from overseas organizations. 

‘Yep! You want some? I found them recently.’ He said cheerfully, proud to show off his treasure as he reached into his ragged hoodie pocket, dropping tiny packages of sweets onto the coffee table beside the couch. 

‘What’s wrong?’ Cat Walker asked Marinette as he stood up from the chair after her. 

She was already on her way to the living room when Zoe ripped one packet apart, its content falling onto the table, some rolling off it. 

‘Hey!’ Colin exclaimed. 

Without explanation, Zoe took a scalpel from the first aid kit and stabbed it on the largest cube of candy in the pack, drawing a scared gasp from Colin. 

None of the grownups in the room needed explanation for the sight unfolded before them.  

Glinting among the shards of the crushed candy was a single metal chip. 

‘That’s how they found you.’ Zoe addressed the speechless boy at last. 

‘And how they’ll find us.’ Marinette finished.

Chapter Text

The Last Vestiges of a Miracle- Chapter 3 – First Quarter 

‘...B-but the commander’s defeated, isn’t she? You two defeated her.’ Colin asked, looking nervously around the table for confirmation but got none. 

‘...’ 

‘Yeah, you’re right.’ Marinette broke the silence with a relieved tone, a stark contrast to the hard look on her face. 

Before anyone could ask about the abrupt change in tone, she put a finger on her lips to shush everyone.  

Wordlessly, Marinette snatched the tracker and got the candies wrapped in a handkerchief, taking them into the kitchen. Only then did it occur to them that though unlikely, there may be microphones as well. 

Zoe patted down the three remaining occupants in the living room meanwhile, confirming that there were no other trackers on their person. 

‘We may have poisoned her but that doesn’t mean she won’t return for round two.’ Marinette stated darkly once she returned, dropping the façade. ‘Not to mention that the tracker’s owners may not even be from the same group we fought. I believe that Ilia definitely didn’t take candy off the streets and yet here we are.’ 

‘So we leave?’ Ilia asked. 

‘Yes. ASAP .’  

‘Where to though?’ 

‘The sewers.’ Zoe answered. ‘There’s a secured tunnel a little walk from here.’ 

‘I need you to stay here and wait.’ Marinette turned to Cat Walker. 

‘Me?’ he did not expect to be called out at that moment. 

‘Yes. And I’ll join you once I escorted them to safety. We stayed here long enough for them to conclude that this place’s inhabited. The only thing we can do now is to forcibly turn this to our favour.’ 

--‘You’re talking about ambushi-’  

--‘You don’t have to go this far.’  

Both Cat and Zoe started. 

‘Yes, and yes I have to.’ somehow, Marinette managed to catch both their sentences anyways. ‘This is for me too, Zoe. If there are vampires, then there’s a chance of a Guardian showing up.’ 

 
‘...You’re still after them I see.’ Zoe noted. 

‘I am.’  

‘But won’t you be too far away for the... protection... to work when you escort them?’ Cat Walker hinted, unsure if he should mention the charm explicitly when there were other people in the room. 

‘It’s a risk I am willing to take. Or you mean you want the brooch back for the moment?’ 

I meant the fact that you’re leaving yourself unprotected . Cat Walker wanted to say. He had momentarily forgotten about how Marinette could walk away with the Butterfly Miraculous and he would never know exactly where she went. Was she lying after all about the charm’s powers? Then again, he himself saw the feats she accomplished, it was hard not to believe the charm’s capabilities. 

The other three people in the room listened on, being left completely in the dark. 

‘You can have both.’ Cat Walker decided after a moment. Gabriel would doubtlessly yell at him for his stupid decision, but Gabriel wasn’t here.  

‘You could have taken the thing from me when I was coughing blood on the streets.’ he added. It was true, Marinette had her chance to do that but didn’t. 

‘You shouldn’t trust me so easily just because.’ Marinette warned. 

‘I could say the same to you, knowing where I came from.’ Cat Walker fought back. 

There was a sigh. 

‘How ‘bout I keep the wings, you take the gem, and we exchange them when we’re at the door?’ 

‘Sure.’ 

‘You know where the supplies are, Mari.’ Zoe spoke carefully once she deemed that the cryptic conversation’s over. 

‘Yeah.’ Marinette said simply before running up the stairs. 

Once the sound of footsteps disappeared, Zoe turned to the two survivors who were left awkwardly out of the conversation. 

‘We’re leaving once I’m done with Ilia’s wound.’ Zoe resumed the task of dressing her wounds without waiting for a reply. Both were aware that disagreeing wasn’t really a choice. 

‘...I’m sorry.’ 

 
Colin choked suddenly, head bowed and trembling frame standing steps away from them. 

‘...I’m sorry...’ he repeated when the rest of the room were suddenly at a loss of what to say. ‘It’s my fault. I’m sorry...’ Colin repeated himself yet again, he was on the verge of tears and Cat Walker was sure that those tears would soon roll down his cheek regardless of what anyone says. 

A hand landed on Colin’s head then, eliciting a yelp from the boy. 

It was Ilia’s uninjured hand. 

‘Even superheroes made mistakes,’ she said as Zoe continued the task at hand, ‘just look at Paris.’ 

Colin lifted his head to look at Ilia.  

‘But I don’t blame Ladybug or Chat Noir,’ Ilia continued, ‘because it wasn't their fault to begin with, it was the vampires’, so know that none of us blame you.’ 

Cat Walker subconsciously gulped. It seemed that no one other than Marinette took notice that he wasn’t human, but the species that invaded Paris. Not that he planned to do a reveal, especially not now.  

‘Just keep your hands off free candies lying on the streets the next time around.’ Marinette emerged from the stairs with a small smile, hands full of supplies. ‘As delicious as they may look.’ 

Had Cat Walker been a normal human being at that moment, he would have missed the strain in Marinette’s voice and the saltiness in the air that doesn’t belong to the tears currently streaming down Colin’s face. 

But he didn’t have the time to ponder on that when the sound of the boy’s cries filled the living room. Seeing the sight, Ilia immediately rubbed Colin’s back in comfort. Marinette discarded the supplies onto the couch before kneeling to the boy’s level and hugging him in Ilia’s place. 

Colin only cried harder, stuffing his head into the fabric of Marinette’s clothes. 

Cat Walker stood rather awkwardly at the side of the living room as the scene unfolded before him. 

‘I’m done.’ Zoe announced a short while later. ‘Fresh clothes are in the supply bag there. Bathroom’s the door by the entrance.’ 

‘You have already done so much for me, I can’t possibly...’ he heard Ilia stammer. 

‘Zoe’s an international volunteer, she literally came to Paris just to help.’ Marinette turned to Ilia with Colin still in the former’s arms. ‘Plus, the bloodied shirts would be a dead giveaway in terms of scents.’ 

With nothing to rebuttal with, Ilia did as she was told and Cat Walker bit down the curiosity to ask about Zoe’s origins. 

‘Is it okay if I snuff out the candles now?’ he asked instead, painfully aware that he hadn’t been able to help much.  

Zoe affirmed with a thank you before swiftly packing her things- the absolute minimal, of course. 

‘Colin, we have to go now.’ Marinette pulled away from the boy, who’s cries had thankfully subdued to coughs. 

Cat Walker went to snuff out candles outside the living room to give them space. 

'Here.’ he heard Marinette say, accompanied by the sound of rustling fabric. ‘This is the only one with your size... hopefully it will do...’

More sniffling from Colin can be heard.

‘Just wait over there okay?’ Marinette instructed. 

Where exactly? Cat Walker idly wondered. From where he was in the kitchen, he couldn’t see the living room.

‘Are you ready to go?’ Marinette spoke again.

‘Yeah.’ It was Zoe.

‘Zoe- I-’ 

Cat Walker stopped dead in his tracks, something told him that he shouldn’t come out of the kitchen just yet. Marinette had asked Colin to stand aside for a reason.

‘I’m really sorry. If I had only known- I...’ 

Marinette’s sound downright wrecked, nowhere near the tone she used to talk to him or Ilia or Colin. And Cat Walker knew that he made the right choice to stay behind that wall separating them. 

‘I should have done a security check beforeha-’  

‘You were desperate for them to get to safety, to shelter.’ Zoe cut in before Marinette could spiral down any further, ‘And if we don’t want that to go to waste we leave now .’ 

The sound of deep breaths filled the silence. Cat Walker held his own. 

‘...Yeah. Let’s do that.’ Came Marinette’s shaky reply.

‘Am I interrupting anything?’ he jumped when he heard Ilia reopening the bathroom door. 

‘No. Are we all good to go?’ Marinette replied, surprising Cat Walker with how she instantly switched tones. 

Cat Walker swallowed, then walked out of the kitchen.

‘Spy the house from somewhere nearby.’ Marinette instructed Cat Walker after ushering everyone out of the door, ‘And keep on watching no matter what’s happening. Do not engage until I’m back. Okay?’ 

If Marinette noticed that Cat Walker heard her little breakdown, she was doing well hiding said fact. And Cat Walker has every intention to not talk about what he heard. So he nodded in understanding, reaching into his pocket to return the charm when no one but themselves were watching. 

Marinette pocketed it before pulling out the purple gem of the Butterfly Miraculous from the other pocket. 

‘I’ll see you in a bit.’ she said, placing it on his hands before pulling up her bandana and cloak.

Cat Walker was on full alert, eyes focused and cat ears twitching, sight never leaving the now evacuated safehouse. He had hidden himself inside an abandoned building overlooking the safehouse’s area. 

Dust had definitely gathered over the course of time and he had to hold his sneeze in favour of picking up the slightest of sounds. The only sound in the air for the last few minutes had been the night wind blowing its way in through the glassless windows, but that could change any second. 

The vampires may come, or they may not. Or maybe tomorrow. He only hoped that it wasn’t some human kidnappers that were after Colin. He’d gladly fight them if they turned out to be that, but Cat Walker was hoping it’d be his own kind, that way the Guardians may show up. 

What should he even say if- when he meets a Guardian? Nathalie and Gabriel told him how, yes. However, would they truly listen? 

Or would they force the ring off his finger without letting him finish? 

He shook his head. It wasn’t the time to be distracted. 

As if on cue, the fog shifted. 

Five shadows moved in the dark. And judging from how they simply leapt off the roof and onto the floor, he was willing to bet that they were vampires. Cat Walker watched on in bated breath, knowing that there was still a chance that they were just passersby. Afterall, the lane and alleyways weren’t private property. But all suspicions of the five not being here for the safehouse were swept away as they started to inspect said house, splitting up to locate the front and back doors. 

Cat Walker gulped. Not an hour had passed since he and Marinette and the rest met Zoe, and the vampires were already here. It wasn’t even the commander or her underlings from the previous fight, but a whole other group altogether. Had Colin not showed them the candies, Zoe not uncovering the tracker, they would have been in big trouble. 

He lost sight of the two that had rounded the corner to find the back door, but the three near the front door were still very much visible. 

One particularly hard kick from one of the three at the door had it cracking, revealing the wood behind- Zoe had sealed the front door with boards before they left. Unfortunately, it did not take long for the three to tear the blockage apart and soon they were entering the house. 

Cat Walker was debating with himself whether he should move one floor down for a better view when new movements caught his attention. Someone was standing in the alleyway leading to the house. 

It wasn’t Marinette, but a bald man with very interesting eyebrows and wine-red uniform. The new figure had blended in perfectly with the shadows. Had Cat Walker been any less diligent, he might have missed him altogether. 

A Guardian . 

Cat Walker realised once he saw the symbol on the back of his shirt. 

The man had a wooden staff on one hand and a bag slung over his shoulders, yet his movements weren’t clumsy like his appearance might suggest. 

Was the man going to pick a fight just in that? 

Alas, he had been told not to underestimate them, so Cat Walker glued himself in his hiding place as the Guardian marched towards the house. 

‘Look what we got here!’ someone said gleefully from within the house. 

Wooden planks flew out of the door and straight at the Guardian. And Cat Walker could only watch in awe as the man dodged them all with practised grace. 

Then, with a single step, the man launched himself inside, a wave of disrupted fog in its wake.

A loud ruckus followed right after. Of grunts and screams and sounds of broken furniture. 

Cat Walker winced, he only needed to hear the sounds to know that the temporary haven named that was the safehouse was no more. No wonder Marinette apologised to Zoe like that . Even if Zoe could return to the place eventually, it wouldn’t be the same. 

It took another round of commotion before the noises died down. The taunting words of the vampires went silent and Cat Walker took that it meant their defeat. 

An amber light flashed from the inside soon after and he wondered if that was the way the Guardian... took care... of the vampires he defeated. He should really take a look to get more intel, but he doubts that he would like to find out just what happened to his kind. 

Soon enough, the man walked out of the house, absentmindedly dusting off his dirtied uniform. 

Then, a girl emerged from the back of the house with slight blood stain on her hair, which Cat Walker presumed that it was probably from the fight. Her suit was just as interesting as the man’s eyebrows. 

Cat Walker felt his eyes widening, completely forgetting how to blink. 

Her appearance matched perfectly with the photos Gabriel and Nathalie showed him. 

Red and black suit. Twin blue pigtails. Red ribbons. Blue eyes. 

Ladybug ?! 

He almost fell off the window at the sight. 

Could it be? 

Oblivious to what was happening several storeys above, she waved at the Guardian. 

‘The two at the back are taken care of.’ she started, ‘They refused to say anything though. Anything on your side?’ 

‘No,’ the Guardian sighed, ‘tight lipped as always.’  

‘No luck tonight... huh...’ 

Cat Walker was able to catch bits and pieces of the conversation. But his mind was more busy thinking about his next course of action than to listen into the chat below. Should he make himself known? 

Marinette explicitly told him not to engage until she’s back. Surely this was an exception though, right? It was Ladybug they were talking about. Where was Marinette anyways? How far was she escorting Zoe and the others?

The two kept talking, looking back at the house from time to time. 

If Cat Walker doesn’t show himself, they would leave once they’re done, and who knows when they would show up again. 

But wasn’t it a bit too convenient that the person he was looking for just so happened to show up for the first time in two years in front of him? 

Yet it would make sense for her to be here. The Guardians were likely tracking down vampires and since Ladybug was last spotted with the Guardian, it wasn’t completely out of the realm of possibilities. 

He weighed his options, straining his mind.  

The two turned to leave.  

And in the heat of the moment, Cat Walker called, knuckles white with how hard he was gripping the window frame. 

‘Wait!’ 

Two pairs of eyes snapped up at him, followed by the sound of drawn yoyo and staff. 

Cat Walker had his hands held up in the universal sign of peace as he leapt from the window. ‘I mean no harm I promise.’ 

The two kept their weapons drawn as he landed in front of them, but Cat Walker chose to let them be. 

‘You are...?’ Ladybug- Cat Walker will call her that for now- started.

‘Cat Walker.’ he answered, trying to get his racing heart under control while bowing lightly, ‘I’m only here to talk.’ 

‘On the roof then.’ the Guardian said. ‘There are too many shadows around here.’ 

With that, the two took off, followed closely by Cat Walker. 

‘Su-Han.’ The Guardian introduced himself once they were on the rooftops. 

‘Ladybug. But I’m sure you already know.’ 

‘Yes. I’ve been looking for you.’ 

In truth, he did not expect to be able to find her this soon. It wasn’t many hours ago when he crossed the portal and now Ladybug was looking at him. That doesn’t matter now. With the chance that had presented itself, he would make sure not to mess things up. His and his father’s life were both on the line. 

‘I have something to show you first.’ he reached into his pocket for the brooch, remembering the pointers Gabriel and Nathalie gave him. The two did not intervene, but watched his movements closely much like Marinette did in their initial meeting. 

He opened his palms to reveal the purple gemstone. 

‘Hawk Moth had been defeated in the world of vampires.’ he announced. 

Weak sparks emitted from the stone as if to back his words up.The two closed the distance, looking closely at the stone but never touching it, as if afraid that the gem would shatter under their touch. 

‘You can examine it if you wish.’ Cat Walker offered.

‘A Guardian recognises a Miraculous when they see one. There’s no need.’ 

‘I believe that Hawk Moth’s defeat wasn’t the only thing you wanted to tell us, though.’ Ladybug spoke, eyeing the ring on his fingers. ‘Where’s my partner?’ 

‘He and Hawk Moth fought to the death. I’m very sorry about your loss.’ Cat Walker recited his lines.

‘Detransform.’ Ladybug said simply. 

‘Excuse me?’ 

‘I need to confirm your words with Plagg.’ 

‘And you need to return the ring anyways.’ Su-Han added ‘We appreciate you bringing the news to us all the way from the world of vampires. But this ring belongs to the humans. It’s the Guardians’ job to retrieve any lost Miraculouses.’ 

‘I’d like to ensure that a request of mine is fulfilled before we proceed any further.’ Cat Walker dropped the catch.

‘We can discuss your request after you detransform.’ Su-Han reasoned, ‘Like Ladybug said, we wish to confirm things with the kwami.’ 

‘I’m afraid that’s not negotiable. I would be left defenceless without my transformation.’ Cat Walker ignored the words and terms he couldn’t understand. Kwami? And who’s Plagg? 

'You’re a vampire, no? Enhanced strengths and all. Chat Noir was last seen passing through the portal to your world, I believe you’re aware.’ 

‘I may be a vampire. But I’ve also seen how you handled those intruders earlier, sir.’

‘If I can’t see Chat Noir again, please at least let me see his kwami.’ Ladybug croaked, eyes watery. 

Cat Walker’s heart clinched at that. But Gabriel and Nathalie’s orders still rang loud and clear in his head. Don’t ever detransform when you’re in their world.  

Yet the two seemed fixated to get him detransform. Cat Walker was confused. It wasn’t like this kwami person would just appear if he detransform. He would be left defenceless and Ladybug and Su-Han still wouldn't get the confirmation they want. It would be a lose-lose situation.

‘You heard her.’ Su-Han pressed. 

By now, Cat Walker was convinced that they could hear his heartbeat rattling in his ribcage. If he says that he doesn’t know what kwami are, he was certain that it would break what little trust they had built up on him. 

So what should he say- 

Something was glimmering out of the corner of his eyes.  

Cat Walker felt his back going cold. 

Something was piercing through the air, his ears picked up as such. 

And coming right at him.  

No... not at him… but at... Ladybug and Su-Han?  

He turned to the direction of the glimmering object and his eyes widened. 

An arrow ? 

He sputtered in his mind. That was the last thing he’d expect. Gabriel told him that this civilization's development was similar to the vampires’. Why were there arrows ? 

That doesn’t matter though. Not when it was hurling straight at Ladybug and Su-Han and they were just standing there. 

Cat Walker moved on pure instinct, not even wanting to waste a moment to yell a warning. He launched himself at Ladybug, aiming to get her onto the ground before the arrow could hit. Hopefully Su-Han could dodge on his own. 

He would apologise to Ladybug later. He promised as such right when he knew he would crash onto her. 

He crashed on nothing but the rooftop tiles, arms hugging empty air. 

... 

What?  

He had fallen straight through Ladybug. 

Ripples spread across the red clad hero like raindrop falling onto a pond, before she disappeared into wisps of thin air, quite literally. 

He refused to believe his eyes.  

The arrow passed where Ladybug was and straight at Su-Han, flying through him like nothing. 

Or rather, there was no Ladybug and Su-Han to begin with. 

‘That's an illusion created with the Fox Miraculous!’ someone shouted from afar. 

Cat Walker scrambled up, raising his baton in a defensive stance, still processing what he had just witnessed. With his enhanced hearing and vision, he turned to the direction of the sound to see a four-eyed curly haired girl yelling at them from a glassless window, a lowered crossbow in hand. 

He squinted at her just when he noticed her eyes widening with her mouth agape. 

There was movement in the air behind Cat Walker and his arms moved before his mind could, blocking a blow to the back of his head. 

For once, he hit something solid. 

‘Nice reflexes.’ His attacker greeted. He wore an orange and white suit with features of a fox, a flute-like weapon currently in a deadlock with Cat Walker’s baton. 

‘Where’s the real Ladybug?’ Cat Walker hissed. 

‘I can ask you the same thing. Where’s the real Chat Noir?’ 

They glared at each other. 

‘I thought I said that he’s gone. Answer my question.’ Cat Walker pushed forward, the tiles cracking beneath him. 

‘Give me your ring and we’ll talk.’ the man gritted. 

‘I don’t give such personal things to my attackers.’ 

‘I beat up the five vampires downstairs, it's best if you do as I say.’ 

‘You’re the real Su-Han then?’ 

‘Took you long enough.’ 

With a grunt, the self-proclaimed Guardian leapt away from Cat Walker, causing the latter to stumble forward. 

‘My apologies to have tricked you.’ he began once there was proper distance between them ‘It was a safety precaution. When I spotted you spying on me up that window on my way in, I had no idea if you were friend or foe. I simply cannot walk out of the house after a fight and hope that you won’t pounce on me like a predator.’ 

‘A little too late for apologies now, don’t you think?’ Cat Walker replied crossly, ‘There was no need to create Ladybug’s illusion other than to trick the current holder of the Black Cat Miraculous.’ 

‘I tried the nice way. You sure you want to try the hard one?’ 

‘Oh I insist.’ 

How dare the Guardian dangle false hope above his head just to take it away? 

There was no further need for words. The two jumped at each other, kicking the tiles off the houses as they leapt. 

Their weapons clashed yet again. Had those been regular weapons, they would surely have broken under the force applied on them. The flute and the baton blurred into oranges and whites and silvers as their wielders swung it in a dangerous dance, sending the sound of clashing metal into the night.  

Cat Walker would be lying if he said that he wasn’t secretly impressed by the man. It was only with his enhanced body as a vampire that enabled him to keep up with the Guardian’s moves. 

In a particularly hard clash, both pushed the other off, fog making way for the gust of wind stirred up between them. 

With a grunt, Su-Han ran at Cat Walker again, flute at the ready. The latter solidified his stance, baton clutched in his hand.  

Then, Su-Han opened his hand, discarding his flute.

?!  

Cat Walker’s eyes instinctively tracked instrument’s fall onto the rooftop. His mind a moment behind to comprehend that it was a trap.

A moment of distraction was all the Guardian needed. 

By the time Cat Walker realised his mistake, Su-Han's barehand was already surging forward, gripping Cat Walker’s unsuspecting ones.  

Shoot.  

In one fluid turn, Cat Walker’s world spun as Guardian had him slamming onto the roof, air knocked clean out of his lungs with his back bared to the man and hands folded behind his back. 

The man was heavy, despite his light moves, he was heavy . And was putting too much pressure on his lungs for any comfort. Cat Walker turned his head with great difficulty, locking eyes with the Guardian. 

The Guardian had nothing to say, he just reached for the ring. His ring. His life.  

CATACLYSM.  

Cat Walker chanted in his mind on sheer autopilot. There was no time to think about the consequences. The moment Cataclysm flared to life, the moment he swung it blindly at the man above him. 

‘You-!’ Su-Han tried to leap back, but it was half a second too late. 

Cat Walker’s fingertips grazed the man’s suit before distance could be put between them. 

The Guardian bent over, clutching the spot where Cataclysm had hit. Almost immediately, light spilled from the point of contact, cracks spreading through the suit like webs. 

But Cat Walker could barely pay attention to that. The floor was spinning too much for his liking even when he was on all fours. He could already taste the iron and bile rising up his throat. 

Soon the Guardian was engulfed in a web of light. The outfit was fighting the effects of Cataclysm head on, but it was clear that the suit was fighting a losing battle. The Guardian could only cover his eyes as the outfit burst into amber light particles.  

Cat Walker turned away from the light and threw up blood all over the roof, a hand raised near his mouth in a futile attempt to keep it all in. Tears built up in his eyes as he kept coughing, blurring his already spinning vision. 

The light faded eventually, leaving two exhausted individuals in its wake, their chests heaving as they tried to catch their breaths. Su-Han was still gripping his side where Cataclysm had struck. Luckily, no blood leaked from the wound. Cat Walker may need to defend his life, but he doesn’t want his attacker dead. 

‘You didn’t say it out loud.’ the Guardian huffed, more to himself than to Cat Walker. 

Wasn’t this what Marinette talked about? Cat Walker wondered in his pained haze. Him not needing to say Cataclysm to activate it? 

The pendant on the Guardian’s neck glowed, a creature spiralling out of it. It had long ears and a fluffy red tail, much like that of a fox. 

Cat Walker wiped the tears from his eyes, his previous question was all but forgotten. 

Is this the genie and the lamp? Was he hallucinating already? 

He needed his vials, now. He belatedly remembered that he had not even finished his baguette in the safehouse. His body was nowhere near full recovery from one Cataclysm use, let alone two . 

‘That hurts!’ The creature started talking. Talking. Cat Walker would have been more surprised if he wasn’t this exhausted and in agony. 

‘What you think you were doing?’ the creature turned to look at Cat Walker, magenta eyes narrowed in what the vampire vaguely depicted as anger and pain . 

‘Soul bonded...’ Su-Han muttered cryptic things again.

‘Make Plagg do that again and I’ll-’ the creature continued, only to be cut off by their own coughs, remnants of Cataclysm glitching over the creature. 

‘Save your breath, Trixx.’ the detransformed Guardian ordered, eyes not leaving Cat Walker’s. ‘I don’t have food at the moment.’ 

Trixx? Is that the creature’s name? Cat Walker wasn’t sure, it felt like he was going underwater and the sound just couldn’t get into his ears. 

Does it matter though? 

Cat Walker pushed himself up with wobbly legs, pointing his staff at the two. His other hand reached for his pouch, ignoring the pounding headache in the back of his head and the spinning roof, one drink and he would be good to fight again. 

‘Woah easy.’ the Guardian stretched out a hand. ‘Neither of us are in any condition to fight now are we?’ 

Cat Walker ignored him. The man lied to his face. How could Cat Walker be sure that Su-Han won’t lie again? He reached for the vials. 

Unfortunately, the Guardian wasn’t having that, take Cat Walker’s action as a rejection to ceasefire. 

With the speed the vampire didn’t know the Guardian processed; the man swatted Cat Walker’s hand away from his pouch. Was all that clutching his side all an act? 

The man wasn’t finished, however, his wooden staff made a reappearance, slamming Cat Walker head first onto the tiles. 

He clawed at the staff pressed onto his neck, yet it didn’t budge at the slightest. 

‘Guardian protects humans from vampires. I’m sure that you know what it means.’ Su-Han stated, not expecting the choking teen below him to answer. 

The Guardian was half right. He was in no condition to fight anymore. However, Su-Han himself was still more than capable of that feat. 

Black spots started dotting his vision, his lungs burning. He needed air, now.

‘Master! He’s Plagg’s-’ he vaguely heard Trixx’s words. 

‘Plagg will have my apologies.’ 

Cat Walker eyed the Guardian’s hands. Both were occupied with holding him down.

Could he risk using another one? 

The man was suffocating him to death anyways.

His eyes flashed red. He would not go down without a fight. Consequences be damned. 

CATACL-  

Adrien!  

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 y̸̧̘͐͆͂͝Ō̵̼ủ̷̮̲̌̄ ̴͚͙͎͂S̷̝̍͛͘Ḩ̶̛͎̟͎̀͐̿ọ̶̿͗́u̸̼̅͛͝L̴̨̼̗͛̍͒̎ḑ̸̲̽͌n̸̜̤̬͝'̷̳͕̦̦̽͆͑̾T̴͖̤̭͒̿ ̶̦̜͆̌ẖ̵̢̹̋̆͑͝ą̸̫̼̇̊̌͜V̷̙̔͠͠e̷̖͖̒̉͑ ̵̡͔͍̈͗̒D̵̛͙̘̹̈́̈́Ǒ̶̖̞̝̥̄̕n̶̨̪̰͝è̷͈̗͕͚̎͝ ̸͙̅̾́̐ṯ̶̛̖͚͌̌Ḫ̵͉̂͝A̴̓͌̇̚͜ṱ̴̗̹̄͜  

One second, he felt his gloved hand closing on the cool metal that was his baton. 

The next he swung it at the Guardian in a speed faster than the human eye can follow. 

Ȅ̶͓̪̮̟L̶̢̈̍͂I̶̟̳̓ͅM̵̙̯̆͋͝A̷̯̤͑͆̃T̴̯͍̺̊̈ͅE̷̦͎̥͒̕ ̸̨̳̐̀͠T̵͚́̚Ȟ̶̡̛̪̱̱͛E̵͎̻̅ ̵̨͒̑T̸̜̩͊͊͋H̴͉͚̒̾͜͜͝R̸̢̩̈́͋É̸̙̊̔́Ă̸̧̧͚͖̓́͝T̵̢̨̖̟̒͝  

Su-Han could only brace himself the best he could as the baton flung him across the rooftops. 

Cat Walker staggered up, white, hot breaths escaping his mouth in puffs, trails of blood rolling down sharpened canines. His pouch hung forgotten on his hips, glowing red pupils had long since contracted into slits, locking onto the human who dared attack him. 

D̵̛͙̞̫̝̼̹͇̓̃͛̔ê̸͙̈́̈́̎͒͠͠V̶͕̲̼̪̯̗͔͊͊͋̃͐o̵̦̦̲̫̔̐̂̓͑̐̿̂̎̋͜ư̵͙͌́̑̈́͛͆́̎͑̚R̴̺̻̯͓͈̜̙͙̖̣̺̱̓̅́́͛̃̑͛͛͗́  

His baton clattered onto the floor and rolled off the roof, a beast has no need for tools when they have claws. 

 
The prey had become the predator and vice versa. All at a second’s notice. 

Not wasting a second, Cat Walker leapt into the air in a graceful yet deadly arc, red eyes piercing through the fog, never once leaving the sight of the Guardian ten rooftops away. 

The vampire landed with a crash three rooftops short from his goal, then ran on all fours with claws raking the on the roof, hurling himself at the Guardian and his kwami. 

'Master, shouldn’t we-’ 

‘Does he look like an adult to you?’ The Guardian said to Trixx, adjusting his grip on the wooden staff. 

‘The five minutes rule?’ 

‘Exactly.’ 

Wood collided with claws and brute force. The Guardian planted his sandals onto the floor, having the roof absorb the impact. A primitive growl raised from Cat Walker’s throat as his claws close in onto the middle of the staff, slowly yet surely pushing the Guardian backwards. 

The black-clad vampire barely broke a sweat pressing on with a single hand, meanwhile the Guardian was using both hands to hold him back. The aura had changed. All semblance of reason had left the teen’s eyes, replaced by bloodlust deadlier than any vampire Su-Han had fought.  

It occurred to Su-Han then that he was no longer looking at an opponent, but a top predator. 

Was this what happens when the raw nature of a vampire mingles with the Miraculous of Destruction? 

Such a thought passed by the Guardian’s mind as the vampire finally pushed him onto his back, staff pressed against his neck. 

Oh how quickly the tables had turned. 

‘Master!’ 

‘Trixx... the time!’ the Guardian croaked. 

‘T-three minutes!’ 

Three minutes in and not a single pad beeped off his ring. 

Su-Han had made a misjudgment. 

The vampire pressed on, claws raking deeper into the hardened wood.  

Su-Han refused to relent either, arms trembling in effort as he pushed his staff upwards with all his might. 

Crick crack.  

The sickening sound reached both their ears.

The staff was at its limits. 

One more push later and it snapped cleanly into two, Cat Walker’s claws heading straight for his neck. 

‘Master!’ Trixx yelped.

The claws sunk into Su-Han's robed arm. Cat walker growled, tightening his grasp deeper in hopes of breaking the skin beneath. 

‘The spell, Trixx!’ Su-Han gritted. 

‘But-’ 

‘ NOW !’ 

‘ MIRAGE! ’ 

Light exploded on the spot. Blinding all four witnesses.

When the vampire could see again, the man beneath him was gone. 

Fishes were swimming in the air. 

Blue rooftops turning pink. 

A giant teepee taking the place of the Eiffel Tower. 

No.  

The man was still beneath him, heat and sweat and everything. He just couldn’t see him.

The air shifted and Cat Walker skittled backwards just in time to avoid a kick to his abdomen. 

He clawed at the air, a whiff of illusion evaporated, but the man was still nowhere to be seen. 

Not only that, but the scent he was following was abruptly cut off as well. 

What did the man do ? 

He looked around, nostrils flaring in a desperate attempt to chase the man down. 

With his food gone, his instincts raged even more out of control, demanding that he find a meal. He was famished and dying. 

That was when a different scent reached him. A reachable distance away. 

He remembered.

There were four witnesses. 

The Guardian. Trixx. Himself and…

A͉̻ ̗͎R̵̞̈́̾̽́̂̌r̴̝̋̽͒̿͑O̶̠̭̳͗̍W̸͈͍̼͙̌͑̿͘,̶̺̟̩̽̐̄́ ̸͍͐ 

͕̘͓p̵̟̘̳͂̈́̋̊́Ē̴̱̼͕̬̖͜O̴̥͊̒̇p̴̨̻̓l̶̫̱͚̰̊̍e̶̟͙̘̜̟͆̃͊̍̏͘,̷̨̠͍̮̅̒͗͂͂ ̸̰͙̍̾ ̵̤͉̱͓͒̈́͆́̇̑ ̴̞̪̱̯͌̈́̈́ 

F̵̞̾̔̓Ō̴̞̖̪͉͇͐͛ȏ̷̲̭͑̉͒̎Ȍ̶͇͍̻͓D̶̟͍̹͈̓̏  

His head snapped towards the source, just in time to catch the sight of a curly wave of hair disappearing behind a wall.  

Licking his fangs, the creature pounced.

Chapter Text

It was easy. Too easy. 

He landed on all fours to the streets with a row, the fog parting a circle around him. His senses wasted no time gathering his surroundings, ignoring the images of glitching buildings and imaginary creatures still present at the wake of Trixx’s Mirage . Instead, he zeroed onto the sound of frantic footsteps fading right around the corner of the street, locking onto the scent-a mixture of fear and determination- half blended into the fog yet still very much detectable. He could make it. 

D̵̰̙̰̎͐ẻ̷̮̩̅͐̾͌v̸͖̜̩̜̒̇̓̚͜o̴̠͕̲̙͑ų̸̖̺̌̌̆́͊r̶͐̿̂͜ ̴̗͚͎̪̭̾́̀  

He rounded the corner where the girl had disappeared into, claws and boots scratching unpleasantly on the pavement at the tight turn. 

He looked up and found that the girl was now in sight, just a couple of metres away. The crossbow from earlier raised and pointed at him. Focused greyish gold eyes locked with his behind the pair of glasses, meeting his widened blood red ones. 

The taut bowstring released with a resounding twang not a moment later, hurling an arrow his way. 

At neck breaking speed, Cat Walker dodged sideways, though not fast enough to avoid the arrow grazing off a strand of his hair. 

The girl gritted her teeth at the miss, free hand already reloading the crossbow. 

Scarlet eyes narrowing, he pounced from the ground immediately after, thoughts focused only on disarming his prey. 

Sharpened claws raked the girl’s hand before the second shot could take aim. The cloak and the striped sleeve of her plaid shirt tore with beads of drawn blood as the crossbow was forcibly dislodged from her, the stray arrow cutting harmlessly past him. 

He did not stop there, using the momentum to push her onto the floor. 

She grunted as she hit the pavement. Despite having got the air being knocked clean out of her, the word relent never appeared in her mind as she threw a punch with her uninjured hand. 

It was too easy, too slow, when compared to the Guardian and the arrow. 

He spared a hand to catch her fist before it could connect, watching her closely for any move that his prey might still make, for any weapon that could still do damage. 

He was so close to finally satisfying his need for food, for blood. 

The intoxicating smell of said liquid wafted the air, which his nostrils took no time informing his mind about. His gaze transfixed on the trails of blood trickling down her injured wrist, some soaking into her clothes and some leaking onto the pavement, glimmering under the dim moonlight, as if beckoning him forward.
 

His mouth watered, saliva dripping down from protruding canines alongside his own blood that leaked from his throat. 

D̶̘̿͋̐͑͗̅̑̑̋̚͘͠E̷͉͓͓̪̙͇̭̰̪͑̈́̓̄͐͘͜V̴̡̤̻͙͉̘͊̀̆̎̒́̓͋̓͒͠O̶̢̞̲͓̺̣̳͚̮̞͓͉̺̒̔͗̾̆̈́́͘Ũ̴̘̹͐̀̑-̸̨̹̱̌̾̿̐̆̂̆͝-̸̧̭̠̳̮̩̀-̴̜̳̹̺͕̪̥̯̱͕̄-̴̙͉̘̖͙̠̊̆́̑ ̴̨̗̫̞̋  

She headbutted him hard before he could act on those words, forcing her bleeding hand to reach into her brown cloak, ignoring stinging pain as she did so. Bloodied fingers grasped onto a poisonous dart from the inner pocket and she sank it into the exposed skin on his neck. 

Cat Walker recoiled upon contact, leaping away from her while hissing. 

‘Ever heard of the saying not to bite the hand that saved your life?’ the girl spat daringly as she sat up, holding two more darts close to herself. 

The vampire said nothing as he raked his claws over the dart, drawing stripes of blood as he roughly clawed it off his neck. The poison was already activating, he could feel it running its course inside his bloodstream, but his survival instincts prompted him to tread on. 

That bleeding wrist was so, so close. Right in front of him. Scarlet droplets hit the floor, reverberating loudly in his ears.

d̷̹̂́̒͜e̶̯̽͌v̵̺̠̾͝ọ̵̎̄u̴̲͚͎͌͐r̶̺͝ ̸̢͍̃ ̸̠̃̔̚ 

                      D̶̥͚͌̐͑͐́̿͆̿ȩ̴̲̯͚̞̻̮̜̅̏́̇̾̈́͝v̶̢̟̲̮̺͔͖̱̈̈̑͜͝o̴͙͕̩͔͎̮̠̼̱͑̈̇ư̸̝̪̟̞͗̓͛̃̄͊͑͝ŕ̵̢̘͉̰͇͛̔͜͝ ̵̹̙̣̪͋̓  

                                           ḑ̸̜͖͖͎̒̍̑͆͌È̴̡̧̻͈̮̩̻̬̩̬͙̖̝̲̖̠̥̗̗͕̲̈́̏͂̾͛̆̎̈́̍̉̒̄̽͝͝͝͝V̸̧͎̱̖͎̜̹̄̌̄̎̍͐͊͛̆̿͛͘͝ͅŏ̶͇̠̤̩̰̙͈͒͂́̀̐̿͋͋̚ͅͅƯ̵̧̺̭̘͎̗̭̯̮̫͆̐̐̇̍̏̋̅͒̈͛̏͊̊̌̉̉̀̄ŕ̸̡̼̗̝͎̘̟͓̜̩̻̽̎͛̚̕ ̷̨̢̧̦̟̝͍̞̬̳̻̜̲͚̹̯͖̈́̿̿͑͗͛̄̓̋̏̎̇͂̔͒̀͜͠͠͝ͅ ̷̢̛̳̜͖͙̱̻̟̝̺͍̫͖̳̗͕̖̹̰͈̃̒̏̍̏͆͑́̎̀͐̀͛̀̈́͑̽̏͐̚͝͝ 

                                                                  Ď̷̡̟̱̯̲̅͛͒̓́͘Ẽ̶̡̢̥̗̻͔͚̝͚̿̐͐̋̊́̿̀̕̚͜v̵̛͙̝̫͕̞̪̪̠̬̥̮͚̰͍̩̯͌͐̎̅̊́̍̎̃̏͆̓́̎͐̉͜ͅó̸̧͔̲̣͓̱̙͍͎̞̞̗̠̙̋̈́̽̋͗͗̀͂͗̍͠͠ũ̷̡̡̲͉̭̩͎̟̈́̓͛̂͆̽R̷̛̰̯͎͛̉͊͗̌͗̋̏̑̃̓̂̾͒͊͑̅̌̓̅̕͠ ̶̨̧̢̨̛̩͉͉͇̟̟̼̜̪̰̜̰̼̹̞͈̘́̀̓͌̅̎̀͗͐́̀̒̈́́̇̚͠ͅ ̴̨̧̢̛̮̱̗̰̱̳̼̖̼͖̻̤̲͕̙̮̗̪̬̬̬̠͒͐͂̐̓̅̾̈́̽̐̀̽͗̅̋̍̀̀̍̊́̕̚͠  

                        D̶̨̛̛͈̰͉̥̣̼̠͋̅͒͗͗͌̋̏̔͛̇͋̄̌̍̈́͋͌͑̕͠͠ͅ ̨̮͙̝̠̩̬̙̻͚̲̜̺̙̣̞͈̱̹̹̖̭̫ͅE̸̢̬̜̹̜̳͈̮̭̗̞͓̬̘̼̻̪͉̲̰̠̯̙̙͈̥̤̫̻̣̭͍̋̀͐̐͒̈́͘͝ͅͅV̵̡̧̢̼̼͚͉̗̖̟̮̠̤͓̭̥͕̹̞̹͙̣̰̼͖̫̈̈̋͒͜͠O̷̡͔̹̲̙̦̘̹̩̭̭̲̣̝̲͔̘̣̤͕̯̱̭͚̭͇͈̙̟̥̰͐͜͜ͅͅ_̶̢̢̡̛̥̫̣̪̞̳̖̱͕̖̭̜͈̖̺̳̠̳͙̀̈̍͆̈́̉͋͋͗̌́͂̊̋̈̆̍͘̕͜͝͠-̶̢̧̙͍̰̣̙͎͙̣̜̩̜͖̲͒̂͛̔͛͂̌̐̽̊̓̏͗͌̈̆̌̇̈́̊̅̓̐͐́̔̕̕̚̕͝͝ ̨̘̼͇̠̱̠̦Ṵ̵̧̢̡̙̲̦̼̫̟͋̈̆̏̃͛̐͑͐̌͒̓̃͋̾̈́͛͐̽̾͒͌̅̚̕͝R̴̭̺̙͙̜̹͔͓̻̺̭̖̘̤̜̱̦̗̫̦͎̖͔̖͕̜͇͉̓̽̅̿̎̓̿̏͌̄̈̕̕̚ͅ ̶̡̡̡̛̛͖̣̟̠̦̫͓̳̺̞̭͈̖̐̊̓̄͋̍͑͊̎̇́̋̄̆̾̀̅̒̆̈́́͗͌͛̒̑͊̔̒̒́͜͠͝ͅͅ-̸̡̢̧̟̗̗̭̫̙̻̺͇̻̹͎͈̼̜̱̖̳̝̥̼̤̑̈̇͒̍̓́̋̿̈̊͑͌̀͋̽̍͊̚͘͜͝͝͝-̴̨̢̧̳̥̥̼͎̭̬̠͚̩͎̦̩͙͎͉̥͕̤͔̙̮̥͇͈̟̗̠̏̒̚͜ͅ-̴̢̛͖̫̯̟̺̤̳͆̀́͂͛͒̒͂̉̎͐͒̌̅͊̄̂͜-̸̩̘̲̭̈́̌̈́̈͗̏̀̑̆̏̃́̃͊͆͛̔̌͝ͅ-̵̨̛̯͚̱̤̮̮̥̬͕̲͈͈̰̻̖͉̯̳̗̖̤͎̲̜̟͇̗̳͓̌̽̓̀̅͗̈́́͂͋̇̓̃̑̆̅̉͌̌̿͆̀͋͐̌̓̉̕̕̕͝͝͝͝ ̷̧̻͓͉͉̭̝̱̐̀̈́̒̎͑̒̄̚ 

A familiar blur of silver cut through the fog, digging into the fragile pavement between the two. 

A baton. 

Both the human and the vampire twirled their heads to see Marinette emerging from the shadows of an alleyway. 

Cat Walker snarled, he didn’t have all night. 

‘You forgot your baton, again.’ Marinette spoke through the bandana, voice deadly calm. 

‘You know him?!’ the girl exclaimed, but his mind barely registered those words. 

Taking the momentary distraction to his advantage, he leapt straight at the bleeding girl, too famished to care about the potential threat the newcomer might bring. 

But instead of raw flesh, he bit into metal, its tangy scent assaulting his tongue. 

The baton. 

Cat Walker glared at its current wielder, predatory red eyes meeting piercing gold ones. The girl had let go of the darts in her hands in favour of blocking his fangs with the baton Marinette threw their way.
 

Marinette dashed at him, dagger in hand. 

That did not go unnoticed under the predator’s eyes.  

Still on his aim to break the baton like he did with Su-Han's staff, he kept the baton locked in his fangs as he stepped backwards to dodge. The girl yelped as she was pulled along by the baton she stubbornly held onto, stumbling towards the vampire. 

The hint of a twisted grin broke through his lips once he confirmed that he turned the tables against the two. Marinette’s outstretched dagger was now pointing at where the girl was, and Marinette was moving towards them a tad too fast to do the situation any good. 

Cat Walker may not be able to see Marinette’s full face with her bandana on, but the glare she sent him was enough to convey her emotions.  

He heard the sound of Marinette’s gloved hand tightening around the dagger before she threw it his way, right before she could run into the other girl. 

Pathetic try.  

He watched Marinette row aside at the last moment to avoid the crash. A mere dagger was no match for his Miraculous-powered suit, the Miraculous of the Black Cat no less. What he should be looking out for was what next move the two would be making. 

He expected Marinette to brandish a second weapon and hurl it at him one way or another. What he did not expect was for her to shout while sitting empty handed on the floor. 

‘Grab it Alya!’ 

Something was sliced apart. And then something else fell from the side of his hips, hitting the pavement. 

Marinette wasn’t aiming at him when he threw that dagger. Perhaps she never aimed her dagger at him to begin with. All this time she had been aiming for the strap that tied the pouch to his belt. 

‘Grab the pouch!’ Marinette shouted again. 

A beast may have no use for a pouch. But he was possessive of his belongings. If the pouch had fallen from him, it was his. No one takes what’s his. 

The baton fell from his fangs as he hissed at the girl- Alya- above him, daring the mere human to a to make her move for his pouch. 

The glint of a dart caught his eyes then. Alya was holding it in her raised hand, the moonlight casting its dim light onto the red and silver weapon. He hadn’t forgotten the unwelcomed sting when she jabbed it into him and he wasn’t planning to get jabbed with it twice. 

Right when Alya was bringing it down to his neck, he tilted his head aside, rendering the dart useless as its sharpened metal tip bent upon being thrusted onto the hard pavement. He dug his claws into her back, feeling the fabric and flesh part way for him. No escape this time.

‘Catch!’ Alya bellowed through the piercing pain she was under.

The vampire’s eyes widened as he watched the pouch left Alya’s other hand, drawing an arc in the air before landing perfectly onto Marinette’s awaiting ones. 

The dart had been a decoy.

F̵̨̹͉͖̯̜͚̓̒̄͛͗̐̾̈́̀̌͜ö̶͕̟̼̠̬̱́͒͋̚ͅÖ̴̳̫̦̙̭̮̩͙̳͐̋̉̕͝o̸̘̗̻͉͍̐D̶̢̼͉̮͍͉̼̱̫̃̉͐̄̈́͛͗͘͘͝ ̵͚̻̫̒̔-̵͖̋̓̂̾́͆̈́̈́͛͠ͅ-̵̰̩̯̾̽͑̀̎̑-̶̧͇͙͕̲̎͘-̷̏ͅ-̴̧̢̨̗͈̠̘̱͇̣̊̊̊̌̈́͠-̵̨̩͈̹̘̠́̒̇̈̾͊̐͗͜-̶̧̟͒̈́ ̵̢̛̹̯͇̭̼̙̈́̆̓̀͋̐̿͒͜͠

̶̢͖͕̞̉̊̒̾͊͘

-̸̦͉̒̔͐̇-̵͈͎͇͎̻̩̱̦̯̝͛̈́̾̈́͆-̴̰̈́̓͠-̵̠̉̿̍͌̀̿̿͆̈́͘-̵̧̝̘̌̈͌͗̊̚-̷̡͓̺̤̹̜̐͂̉͜-̸̞͉͒͐-̴̢̢̘̪͇̩͔̦̀̓̈͝ṗ̸̖͇̹͚̀͝Ơ̸̩͇͑̈́̍͛̅͗͘̕͠o̴͎͖̥͚̹̫̩͌̐c̴̬̗͓̫͎̺̿̆̑̐̔͠ě̸̬̰̤̻͔̲̗̒͐͌͜͜S̴̨̖̮̈̄͜Ṩ̸̛͎̟̮͍̹̐̆̎͆̄̉i̸͕̜̱̠͎̤̓ő̵̧̢̡͙͓̪̜̮̱̦Ṅ̶̝͓̯̃̍͘͘̕͝

He had his food right in his hands, bleeding out as they spoke. Yet his possession had been taken from him. The beast inside demanded both . His eyes flew between the two girls, hiss morphing into a growl while his hazy mind tried to conjure up some semblance of a plan. 

‘ Snap out of it , Cat.’ Marinette said with finality in her tone, catching Cat Walker’s attention as her hand pulled out two vials from the stolen pouch. 

M̴̯͉̦̯͖͉̼̝̤͊͌̓̓̔͂̓́̇̓I̵̻̖̪̒̓̆̑͌N̴̡̨̯̥̖͉̠̅͆̔̇̊͆̎͊̔͑E̵̢͈̓͂͠ ̷̨̠͓̹̝̗̃͂̃̾̚ͅM̷̪̫͖̓Į̴̻̣̺͈͚̜̈̇N̶̛͚̺̾̃̎́̂̅Ȩ̶̛̮͐̌́͝ ̶̛̝̻̥̯̥̞̞̗͆M̶̢̥̙̬̝̞̭̎̾̂́̄̕͜͠Ī̴̥̝͔̤̈̋̆͌͑͗Ň̸͕̇̕E̸͚̼͛́̀̆-̸̟̫̖̹̩̹͇̦͔̼̓͗͐͛̓-̸͖̗͉̳̺̄̑̔̄̈̾̄͒̕-̵̨̢̧̚-̵̬͎̜̓͛͋͑̋̒̕̚͘-̸̣̅̊ ̷̛̯̗́̄̅̈́͋͊

‘ Yours, ’ Marinette spoke as if she was reading his mind, ‘So come back to us.’ 

With that, she uncorked the bottle and that was when Cat Walker lost it completely. 

He recognised it to be high potency blood the moment he smelt it. Even when the blood was cold, it kept its freshness and its promise of recovery and power. It smelt familiar, too, of the mansion he calls home under the red moonlight. 

Dazed, claws pulled out from Alya’s back, drawing out blood as he did so. Cat Walker no longer paid her any mind, his slitted eyes were for the vials only. For once since that little chase began, he was finally given what he wanted. 

Marinette let go of the vials the moment Cat Walker pounced for them, sending them clattering onto the floor, its contents staining the pavement. 

He lapped the blood straight from the floor at once, with no regard to anything else, savouring the heavenly liquid that blessed his tongue. 

‘Are you okay?!’ he absentmindedly heard Marinette rushing to Alya in the background. 

He kept lapping off the vials and the stained pavement, relishing the sensation of non-adrenaline fuelled strength seeping back into him. The voice that dominated his mind gradually backed down with every new lap he took, subsiding until it was just a faint whisper, barely audible above the wind. 

Then, as if a switch had been flicked, green returned to his eyes.

His tongue filled with the tang of blood.

…

...what...?  

He blinked a few times to clear his vision. Since when did fishes swim in the sky? And this wasn’t a landscape he recognises--- 

Oh. He recalled suddenly.

Safehouse- Su-Han- Ladybug- the fake one— details of his fight with the Guardian rushing back to him. 

And then-- 

Oh.  

CATACL-Adrien!  

When he was cornered by Su-Han, he had tried to summon Cataclysm for the third time that night, almost breaching the rule of at all costs but your life . 

Someone had stopped him mid-chant. 

Someone had called his name- his actual name - while he was transformed into Cat Walker. 

But there had been no one beside them--- 

There was the girl with glasses- 

But he knew it wasn’t her. 

It was-- 

Their name evaded him as adrenaline withdrew completely from his body, causing exhaustion and poison and pain alike to crush onto him. 

He let out an involuntary groan, his entire body hurts. His heart in particular throbbed painfully and every breath burned. 

‘Cat Walker?’ 

Despite the pain, his ears twitched and he turned at the sound of a familiar voice. Marinette was on the floor a small distance away, cradling a bleeding girl in her arms. 

Cat Walker’s eyes landed on the dagger that Marinette was clutching, its lowered metal tip pointed at his direction. He looked at the girl- the same girl that had busted Su-Han's lies- who's back was bleeding, then back at Marinette’s dagger. 

Did he... 

Tell him that he didn’t... 

Against better judgement, his eyes panned down to his suited hands. 

Red stared back at him, clogged blood stuck between his gloved fingertips. 

He couldn’t breathe. 

‘Hey- it’s--’ someone- probably Marinette- spoke. But he couldn’t hear properly. 

No, it’s not okay.  

But he couldn’t mutter a word. 

Everything felt too much at that moment. 

His world tilted sideways, blackness taking hold, deaf to the worried exclaims from the partner he unconsciously betrayed. 

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Paris was burning.  

And it was his doing. Yes. Him.  

The sky was ripped apart, black and purple glitched around the unnatural cracks. Fire licked up countless buildings, sending blackened smoke and heat into the night. Cars’ honks echoed through the chaotic streets crowded with people and vampire alike; emergency vehicles at a loss if they should head for their supposed destination or tend to the lives being endangered right outside the vehicle’s windows.  

All. His. Doing.  

He Cataclysmed something he shouldn’t have.  

In his defence, there was no way he could have known. No one could have known. Yet it doesn’t stop the pang of guilt and self-blame from creeping up his soul. Because really, how could he not blame himself when the city he swore to protect was fallen by his very own hands?  

Despite being a safe distance from the fire and smoke, he felt overheated and suffocated, cold dread forming on his suited back.  

‘...oir...!’  

‘Chat Noir!’ someone was screaming.  

A gloved hand cupped his cheek, firm yet gentle.  

Only then did it occur to him that that someone was addressing him.  

‘Snap out of it, mon Chaton.’ the voice pleaded.  

His lips move on its own accord at the face he saw, throat croaking out a familiar name--  

‘...Lady...bug.’ he croaked.

Cat Walker’s delirious mind vaguely registered the sound of a gasp followed by a cool hand retracting from his cheek. He found that he missed the comforting touch, for his cheeks were burning hot. Scratch that, his entire body was burning hot, he could feel the sweat coated all over his suited-up body. The only spot that wasn’t burning was perhaps his forehead, someone must have draped a damp towel there.

Sleepiness clung to him closely, heaviness weighing on his eyelids, as if to coax him back to the blurry flashes of images and sensations he dreamt of moments prior. But the fact that he had trouble recalling the last thing he remembered got him forcing his dry eyes open in a crack. 

His wandering gaze landed on a pair of eyes in a dimly lit room, currently looking into his. 

‘!’ 

Cat Walker shot up from the mattress at the eye contact, before immediately regretting it in a pained hiss when his body protested at the sudden movement. 

‘Whoa- stay down!’ the girl leapt to her feet from the cushion she was sitting on, outstretched hands empty to reassure him that she meant no harm, ‘You’re running a fever.’ 

He blinked a few more times, heart still pounding loudly in his ears. The only thing in the room he recognised was the person in front of him. 

‘...Marinette...?’ 

‘That’s me.’ she confirmed. 

Cat Walker’s heart kept hammering hard in his chest. He might not remember how he got here, but he does remember the fake Ladybug up on that rooftop. He gave her a onceover, trying to confirm her words. She had her cloak off, revealing the dark shirt beneath and the black ribbons tying her hair. The bandana was hanging loosely around her neck and her fingerless gloves stayed on. No, that wasn’t enough to prove anything. He frowned in thought, his headache intensifying. 

Luckily, it only took Marinette a few moments in confusion before the reason for his actions clicked. Without another word, she reached into her pockets for the charm. Cat Walker drew in a sharp breath but didn’t stop her.  

Gingerly, she proceeded to place the Ladybug charm onto Cat Walker’s hand, all the while making sure that their fingers brushed against one another to prove that she wasn’t an illusion. 

‘Zoe’s the occupant of the safehouse.’ Marinette continued verifying herself, ‘I offered you a baguette but you didn’t get to finish it cause we needed to evacuate. Plus the fact that you’re still wearing your ring.’

‘...Verified.’ Cat Walker spoke at last, reaching a hand to touch his damp forehead, which felt both cold and hot at the same time. Yikes. He had a fever alright. ‘Where are we?’ 

‘Another safehouse. I would take you to the main hideout through the tunnels if I could but...’ 

But I may attack people and the people there wouldn’t think twice before they decide to kill me. Cat Walker let that thought slide. Instead, he asked ‘Never mind that...how long?’ 

‘Over twelve hours. It’s five in the evening now.’ 

Shoot.  

He yanked the blanket aside, scrambling up with shaky legs. The room spun terribly but that was the least of his concerns. 

‘Wait! You’re in no condition to stand.’ Marinette warned, though she didn’t stop him as he stumbled across the room. 

He paid her no mind, tumbling towards the curtained windows where faint light was seeping through. Not wasting another second, he slid the curtains open, eyes squinting at the now unveiled light. 

Once his eyes adjusted, he could see from the small, netted window that the late afternoon sun was in the sky. The brightest of stars had already made their appearances from behind the thin clouds. It seemed that he really slept for over twelve hours. 

A solid twelve hours. 

Wasted. 

Cat Walker’s hands clenched into a fist around the railing. The Guardian’s tracks must have gone stale by now. 

He turned for the door in uneven steps, only this time Marinette did attempt to stop him, gripping him by the wrist before he could turn the doorknob. 

‘Tell me you’re not rushing headfirst into a fight without a plan, again .’ Marinette asked, an edge in her voice. 

She didn’t understand, Cat Walker thought. Unlike her, time wasn’t a luxury he had. The little discourse with Ilia and Colin and Zoe was something that couldn’t be helped, he understood that perfectly. But time spent on himself was time wasted. 

‘Wait any longer and there wouldn’t be a trace we can use to track down the Guardian.’ he huffed. 

‘You’d collapse before you make it to the front door.’ she retorted, hand still wrapped tightly around his wrist, ‘You have any idea how close you were to death last night?’ 

That made Cat Walker pause, for the events of last night were blurry, his mind still felt too sluggish to recall the exact details. 

‘ Excessive use of Cataclysm, extreme hunger, and poison to top it off.’ Marinette listed them one by one when Cat Walker remained silent, ‘You were lucky that Alya used a non-fatal poison.’ 

‘Alya?’ 

‘My friend. The girl who revealed the Guardian’s lies, the one your rampage-filled mind chased after. Did that ring any bells?’ 

Oh. It did ring a bell, a dozen bells to be exact. 

He really messed up. 

‘Is she-’ 

‘She’s alright.’ 

‘Where is she? I need to apologise.’ 

‘I’ll tell you when you’re feeling better.’ 

‘...’ 

Cat Walker let his hand fall from the doorknob at that. Marinette was right, there was no way he could beat the Guardians when he could barely stand, as much as his stubborn mind resented the idea of staying idle. 

He turned from the door to find a place to sit or maybe lie down, and that was when he spotted the familiar pouch lying discarded on the floor, right beside the cushion by the mattress, a sewing kit beside it. 

‘Sorry, I had to cut the pouch’s strap to get you your... replenishment.’ Marinette explained quietly as she let go of his wrist, ‘I’m almost done patching it up though.’ 

That wasn’t the point. Marinette could cut his pouch open for all he cared. 

Marinette knew about the vials. Yet that wasn’t what’s on the tip of his tongue at that moment either. 

‘You brought me back.’ Cat Walker spoke, it wasn’t a question. 

‘You can say that.’ 

‘I was attacking your friend.’ 

‘All the more reason to bring you back.’ 

‘That’s not it- you had every reason to kill me, and not just because of Alya.’ 

But also because of Chat Noir. And of what the vampires did to Paris. He left that unspoken, knowing well that Marinette would catch on to that anyways. 

‘...I thought we went past that when we traded accessories?’ Marinette asked rhetorically. 

‘...’ 

‘Look...you were reaching into your pouch back in the safehouse- before I interrupted you that was.’ she explained, ‘That and a few more observations and vampire knowledge thrown in, I came to the conclusion that you must have food or some kind on your person. There was no need to resort to killing when there are better solutions.’ 

‘...Thank you.’ was all Cat Walker managed to say. 

‘I should have returned sooner to aid you. I was at fault too.’ 

‘Still-’ 

‘Do you know what the last owner of the Butterfly Miraculous did?’ Marinette cut in, taking out the wings of the Butterfly Miraculous from her pocket. 

‘Not exactly.’ 

‘He would turn troubled civilians into supervillains.’ Marinette turned the broken pieces in her hands, ‘Those victims usually had little to no control over their actions as they caused havoc around the city. Ladybug and Chat Noir had to fight them, and not once did they resort to killing, regardless of the danger they faced. But if it’ll make you feel better, repay by resting up.’ 

Without waiting for an answer, Marinette pocked the wings and headed to the small folding table at the corner, returning with a water bottle and a glass thermometer. 

‘Sit.’ she said simply, motioning to the mattress on the floor. 

Knowing that she wouldn’t take no for an answer, Cat Walker sat and took the thermometer into his mouth after a small thank you. Both their gaze then trained on the line of red climbing up the glass, which Cat Walker grimaced at internally as he watched it go up and up and up. 

‘On the bright side...’ Marinette commented once the liquid stopped rising, settling herself down onto the cushion. ‘At least it has gone down a bit.’ 

‘You’ve been checking on my temperature?’ 

‘Can’t let my partner die of a fever or dehydration now can’t I?’ she asked, gently pressing the side of the water bottle to his flushed cheek. 

‘Partner... huh...’ Cat Walker breathed, leaning onto the bottle, relishing in the coolness it gave out. Now that he was sitting on the mattress, sleep started clinging onto him again, his feverish body demanding more rest. He could practically feel his eyelids drooping. 

‘Don’t fall asleep like that.’ Marinette chastised before Cat Walker could slide into a slumber with his face pressed onto a bottle. ‘You’ll get dehydrated, at least drink a little.’ 

But Cat Walker’s mind was too sleep-addled for him to comply. He lifted a shaky hand to where Marinette was holding the bottle, hoping to keep that cool sensation close by. 

‘’s just a little nap...’ he slurred, unwilling to go back to wakefulness. 

‘Cat-’ Marinette started, though she made no motion to pull away. 

The door creaked open then, startling them both.

He turned his head to find the newcomer looking between the two from the doorway, holding a portable radio of some sort in her non bandaged hand.

‘Alya.’ he heard Marinette utter. 

Alya as in the one who he should apologise to?

The girl was still looking between Marinette and Cat Walker.

‘...Evening report?’ Marinette broke the growing silence. 

‘Evening report.’ Alya confirmed, not moving away from the doorframe. Cat Walker decided that he did not like the feeling that he was being studied upon underneath Alya’s black rimmed glasses. But that thought was whisked away as Marinette placed the bottle on the floor, breaking contact with his hand. 

‘Be sure to drink up, okay?’ Marinette stood, taking the pouch's strap and the sewing kit with her. ‘I’ll return the strap once I’m done mending it. Foods’ on the table and I’ll just be a call away.’ 

The abrupt ending to their conversation caught Cat Walker off guard, rendering him speechless all the way until the door clicked shut, leaving him alone.

What would he have said anyways had he not been awestruck? Ask her to stay? That doesn’t sound very appropriate. Marinette clearly had business to tend to. And... ah ... he remembered belatedly, there went his first chance to apologise to Alya. That would have to wait till later, he thought to himself as he dragged the blanket over himself, drifting to a deep slumber. 

The next time Cat Walker came to consciousness, it was to a name that never expected to hear, at least, not here. 

‘Adrien?’ 

It took him a few moments to realise that it wasn’t a part of his dream.

He snapped awake almost instantly once that thought settled, subconsciously pulling the blanket to himself protectively, pupil blown wide at the sound of his name. But it seemed that he wasn’t the Adrien the speaker was referring to, for he was the only occupant in the room, lit only by the moonlight filtering through the curtained windows. There wasn’t anyone knocking on the door either.  

‘You gotta stop looking for him in Cat Walker, it’ll only hurt you more.’ The conversation continued, clueless about the vampire they awoken. 

Marinette and probably Alya. He guessed. Probably two walls away judging by how faint the sound was. It appeared that he had recovered enough for his senses to work properly again. 

‘I wasn-’ 

‘You made him your partner, trusted him enough to accommodate him in not just one but two safehouses and brought him back from his feral outburst.’ probably-Alya listed as a matter-of-factly. 

Marinette went silent and Cat Walker must admit that he thought the same as well, just what was the driving factor for her to do so much for him? 

‘Not to mention not what I walked in on.’ Alya added

‘You didn’t walk in on anything.’ This time, Marinette’s reply was swift.

‘How about the fact that you kept vigil by his side the whole day?’ 

Cat Walker almost choked on air. She did what? Marinette only said that she had checked his temperature while he slept, no one said anything about keeping vigil . And did Alya mean that Marinette stayed in his room in the full twelve hours he was out cold?

‘Well would you freak out if you woke up alone feeling extremely unwell in an unfamiliar place?’ Unknown to the new listener, Marinette rebutted. 

‘We both know that that wasn’t the main reason you stayed.’ 

Silence fell again, which Alya took as her cue to keep on talking. 

‘Marinette,’ he heard Alya’s tone soften, ‘you won’t find him in Cat Walker. As much as it may feel like it's Adrien wearing Chat Noir’s ring, Cat Walker is not either of them.’ 

Although said Cat Walker had every reason to believe that he wasn’t the same Adrien they were referring to, his heart still clinched in the surge of undefined emotions. 

‘...Alya, you don’t know that.’ Marinette’s voice was strained as she whispered. 

‘If he’s Adrien he'd have told you by now. His kindness wouldn’t allow him to keep people believing that he’s gone.’ 

The sound of hitched breathing and suppressed sobbing reached his ears and that was when Cat Walker finally covered his ears with the blanket, blocking the sound out. He knew that should have covered his ears and kept sleeping the moment he woke. He wasn’t that dense, he knew a private and personal conversation when he heard one, but curiosity killed the cat.

It was clear to Cat Walker then that there was a side of Marinette that she would only show to her friends. He caught a glimpse of it when she was with Zoe and now again with Alya. A side that hid behind that commanding but caring demeanour. A side that reveals itself at a simple mistake, a simple name.

Was that why Marinette chose to partner up with him? Cause he reminded her of someone? Of Adrien?

He didn’t know what to feel or think about that. 

He must have fallen asleep halfway through his thoughts, for when he woke again, the moonlight was gone, replaced by sunlight that seeped through the curtain. The dull throb in the back of his head was no more, a sign that his fever had broken. 

He spotted his pouch sitting neatly beside the mattress, the strap nicely resewn. Marinette kept her word, he thought with a small smile as he strapped the repaired pouch on. He would pretend that he heard nothing from last night, he had decided. He only hoped that Alya’s comfort was enough for Marinette. 

And speaking of the devil, the first thing Cat Walker saw when he opened the door was Alya passing by the hallway.

The two stared at each other. 

‘...Alya, right?’ Cat Walker asked. 

‘In the flesh.’ Alya replied.

‘I’m sorry I attacked you.’ he bowed his head at her, he really should have said it last night, but better late than never. 

‘All forgiven.’ Alya said casually. 

However, before Cat Walker could let out a breath in relief, she added with a smirk, ‘As long as you let me in on scopes about vampires that is. I know that you guys can stand the sunlight no problem but there are still many mysteries.’

‘I…guess a little info wouldn’t hurt.’ taken aback by the sudden enthusiasm, he moved his gaze to the netted window in the hallway.

The sky was clear today it seemed. 

……

…Too clear. 

‘There’s no fish in the sky.’ he muttered suddenly. 

‘I beg your pardon?’ 

He was too deep in his fever last evening to remember if there were fishes in the sky then. But now he can be sure that there wasn’t a single fish up there or a building out of place. What happened to Trixx's Mirage ? 

‘The fishes.’ he repeated ‘The Guardian had the little fox creature summon illusions and fishes were one of them.’ 

‘Oh that? That's fixed last night.’ 

‘Fixed?’ 

‘It caused quite a commotion over the radio call you know, when people saw Miraculous Ladybug again after two years. It would be nice if it turned the ruins back to buildings but I guess there's a time limit or something to that...’ 

Cat Walker hardly caught what she said afterwards, too focused on the part about the power of the Ladybug Miraculous, the same one that his father and Nathalie taught him about. 

It could only mean one thing if Miraculous Ladybug was casted. 

The Ladybug Miraculous was active, and that the real Ladybug was out there somewhere. But he wasn’t going out without a plan, or his partner. 

‘Where’s Marinette?’

Chapter Text

‘Where’s Marinette?’ Cat Walker asked. 

He was feeling much better now, his fever broke, his senses working well. The Ladybug Miraculous was activated last night. There was no time to waste. 

Alya paused in recounting last night’s commotions. 

‘...Out.’ She said almost reluctantly. ‘Marinette went out.’ 

Out ? 

What happened to not rushing headfirst into a fight without a plan? And what about the Ladybug charm she gave him yesterday? It was still in his pouch right this moment. Marinette was rushing into a battle unprotected- 

Cat Walker must have made a face at the answer, for Alya immediately added. 

‘She’s just scouting, not fighting so chill out.’ 

‘Alone?’ 

This time it was Alya who made a face at him. 

‘I think you saw firsthand that she was more than capable of going solo.’ 

Cat Walker begged to differ after hearing Marinette’s conversations with Zoe and Alya- on the emotional aspect at least. But he wasn’t going to bring that up, ever. So instead, he asked. 

‘Exactly what is she scouting for?’ 

‘The one you two are looking for-Ladybug. Or well, the place where the Miraculous Ladybug was activated.’ 

So Alya knew about Marinette’s goals, Cat Walker noted mentally. 

‘Does this mean we have a location?’ 

‘ Possible location s. Nothing’s firmed yet.’ 

‘Where?’ He pressed. 

'The better question would be where you are. That, and what’s for lunch. If you’re actually serious about finding Ladybug that is.’ 

‘I’m dead serious.’ There was no hesitation nor pause in Cat Walker’s reply. 

‘Then come with me.’ Alya walked past him to the other end of the corridor without waiting for an answer. She didn’t have to, Cat Walker’s footsteps were an answer of its own. 

The living room they entered was dusty, which Cat Walker suspected was because unlike Zoe’s place, this one doesn’t seem to be inhabited until recently. The only corner that wasn’t dusty was the worn-down coffee table, where transceivers, notes and maps were scattered on. Blinds were drawn, strips of light filtering through its gaps. 

Before Cat Walker could let his gaze wander any further, Alya returned from the pantry and shoved him canned food and a cup of lukewarm water. 

‘You guys still eat... food, right?’  

‘We do, thank you.’ 

‘You’re welcome.’ was all Alya said before plopping herself down beside the coffee table, flipping over the notes. 

‘So... where are we exactly?’ 

‘The 11 th arrondissement, which is...’ Alya moved her pen to point at a spot on the map. ‘Here.’ 

‘And the possible locations?’ Cat Walker looked over the map, trying to make sense of the colour coded circles and lines drawn over it. 

‘Finish your food first.’ 

‘It wasn’t like I would rush outside the moment I heard the names of the places.’ 

‘Food first.’ Alya insisted. 

‘Then can I ask how you found me?’ 

Alya sighed, but upon seeing that Cat Walker did pick at his food, she relented, just a bit. 

‘I was on patrolling nearby.’ She stated vaguely. 

‘How did you know that they were illusions? Or did you snipe them thinking that they’re the real deal?’ Why didn’t you snipe me was left out of the question, though Alya caught on anyways. 

‘Deductions. One of the major red flags was how the Guardian and Ladybug were standing together. Ladybug wasn’t on the best of terms with the Guardians. And I won’t snipe a stranger I know nothing about.’ 

‘Wasn’t Ladybug last seen with the Guardians?’ 

‘I see that Marinette had told you things.’ Alya threw him a sideway glance. ‘Last seen together doesn't mean that they were buddies. There were other things I took into consideration in my deductions as well. Their postures and gestures for starters. And many other things.’ 

‘How can I tell the real from the fake the next time around?’

‘You can’t.’ Alya answered bluntly. ‘You can’t ever be a hundred percent certain. But as you saw last night, once illusions collide with real life objects or people, they disappear. Though just cause they are touchable and holding the Miraculous of the Ladybug, it doesn’t mean that they are the Ladybug you are looking for.’ 

‘You’re suggesting...’ Cat Walker’s grip tightened on the cup.

‘That the current holder of the Ladybug Miraculous may not even be the same person as the holder two years ago.’ Alya finished for him.

Cat Walker felt his stomach drop, suddenly losing all interest in his food despite the hunger. If it wasn’t the same Ladybug who partnered up with Chat Noir, then how was he supposed to execute the full plan? He could make alterations and revisions, sure, but it wouldn’t be as useful when there was little emotion involved on the ‘new’ Ladybug’s side. What about setting out on finding the ‘actual’ one? 

‘What... make you think that?’ He asked carefully, aware of how closely Alya was watching him. 

‘The real Ladybug would have announced her return to all of Paris and not sneaking around the shadows.’ 

If he’s Adrien he'd have told you by now. His kindness wouldn’t allow him to keep letting people believe that he’s gone. Cat Walker was reminded of what he overheard last night. However, he pushed it aside. 

‘Maybe she had her reasons?’ He suggested. 

‘...Maybe.’ 

They went mostly silent after that, with Cat Walker focusing his lunch- or brunch- and Alya jotting down notes. 

‘Just put it on the counter.’ Alya spoke eventually when Cat Waller finished his food. And by the time he returned, she had already cleared the table of stray notes, leaving the map of Paris in plain sight.  

‘We have quite a few possible locations to investigate.’ She started once Cat Walker sat himself down. ‘But I narrowed it down to three likeliest locations for Marinette to scout for now.’ 

Cat Walker gave the map a onceover, vaguely recalling that his father and Nathalie had marked some locations on his own map as well, the map that was currently folded in his pouch. Though with the fresh lead, maybe it wasn’t time to take it out just yet. 

‘Do you know how the Miraculous Ladybug thing works?’ Alya paused to look at him. 

‘A little?’ 

‘I’ll take it as a no then.’ Alya decided before Cat Walker could protest. ‘It basically spreads magical ladybugs everywhere to repair damage. And the point of origin is always where the caster is. So Mari and I collected witnesses' accounts- including our own- from our contacts and tried to retrace the path the ladybugs made.’  

‘What did you end up with?’ 

‘All the witnesses pointed out that the ladybugs sprouted from our side of the Seine. Seine is the name of the river by the way.’ She added when she spotted Cat Walker’s confused gaze. 

‘So up here?’ Cat Walker pointed at the upper section of the map.  

‘Yep. We narrowed it down to the Opera House, the Louvre and the National Library. All of which are still partially intact.’ Alya pointed to the three locations on the map marked in purple. ‘And big too.’ 

‘How long till Marinette comes back?’ 

‘The evening.’ 

‘The evening?’ Cat Walker echoed in disbelief, it was barely past noon that moment. 

‘The roundtrip itself takes around two hours.’ Alya reasoned. ‘And time needed for scouting is very dependent on the situation. Why? Are you in a hurry?’ 

Cat Walker was, in fact, in a big hurry. His father doesn’t have much time left. But Alya doesn’t need to know any of that and there was no way he was going to tell her such. Hence, he opted for the next best reply. 

‘It’s just that they could be long gone by the time Marinette scouted them all, or they could be setting up a trap. Or...’ A terrible idea came to Cat Walker then. 

‘What if the Miraculous Ladybug itself is an illusion?’ He breathed. 

Alya smirked at him. ‘I thought you’d never bring that up.’  

‘So that’s a possibility?’

‘Marinette and I suspected it for a second but nope. Its not possible for it to be an illusion. The Miraculous Ladybug touched us as it passed us by. My injuries were not caused by any direct or indirect usage of magic—no, don’t apologise again, I already said I forgave you- so it wasn’t in its healing agenda, but Mari and I felt its power. That isn’t something an illusion can fake.’ Alya explained. ‘As for the remaining possibilities, Marinette was aware of the risks, but we don’t have much else to go on with.’ She concluded. 

‘I have a map of my own with some other possible locations.’ He offered.
Alya raised an eyebrow at him. ‘You didn’t even know the name of the Seine until a moment ago.’ 

‘The map was given to me as a guide.’ 

‘By?’ She prompted. 

‘Classified. Do you still want to take a look?’ 

‘I’ll take whatever info I can get.’ 

So Cat Walker handed her the map from his pouch which Alya took with a thank you. He himself didn’t get much of a chance to read it before he was shoved through the portal to Paris, therefore he looked over his map with her and the living room descended into quietness, broken only by occasional questions popped by Cat Walker and updates from Marinette over the transceiver. There were no signs of the Guardians or Ladybug at the National Library it seemed. 

The sunlight seeping through the blinds weakened as the hours ticked by, until it became too faint to see things probably with natural light alone. 

‘I’ll go get the lights.’ Alya announced then, standing up and stretching. 

The transceiver beeped halfway through her way to the pantry, however, causing her to stop in her tracks. 

‘Marinette?’ Cat Walker picked up the microphone, heart racing. Her last update came in less than fifteen minutes ago. Had Marinette spotted something? 

The only sound that came through the speaker were clicks, which was a first since Marinette always spoke plain words to them in her updates. 

‘Mar-’ Cat Walker tried again but was shushed by Alya as she covered the microphone with her hand. 

The clicks kept sounding and that was when Cat Walker resailed that it was some sort of code.  

Alya snatched the mic from him the moment the clicks ended, tapping on it rhythmically in reply. He watched the exchange in tensed silence. He may not be able to decode their words, but he could easily tell that something went south. 

Once the cryptic conversation was over, Alya slotted the microphone back to the transceiver with more force than necessary. 

‘Marinette’s near the Louvre. She’s been spotted.’ Alya said before Cat Walker could voice his question, walking over to the window to peek outside the blinds.  

‘By Guardians?’ Cat Walker could see from the now half-opened blinds that the sun was setting. 

‘Guardians.’ Alya confirmed without taking her eyes off the window. 

‘Isn’t that a good thing? Since they are both on the side of humans?’ 

‘They know that I’m Marinette’s friend and partner. So considering that I busted their advances to get you last night, I think you can tell where this is going.’ 

‘They’ll take Marinette as someone siding with the vampires.’ Cat Walker concluded grimly. 

‘Exactly’ Alya turned from the window to where her coat hung from a hook on the wall. 

‘I’m coming with you.’ Cat Walker turned to follow.

‘I am not going to her rescue.’ 

‘What?’ He couldn’t believe his ears. 

‘Marinette was spotted, not caught.’ Alya stated, buttoning the coat. ‘And since she doesn’t know the exact number of Guardians on her tail, she may outrun them, or get outnumbered. It’s not wise to just run to her aid without sufficient information.’ 

‘Are we going to get backups then?’ 

‘ I am going to the Louvre for scouting. This is a personal investigation so there’s no backup.’ 

‘But you just said you’re not-’ 

‘I said I’m not going to her rescue.’ She repeated. ‘Many things could have happened while I’m on my way there since we’re not close to the Louvre. But I am going scouting to confirm Marinette’s status. With all the attention currently on Mari, it’s also prime time to sneak up on the Guardians.’ 

‘I’m still coming with you.’ 

‘Marinette specifically told you not to on the transceiver.’ 

‘I didn’t hear that.’ Cat Walker retorted. 

‘Well I did.’ Alya didn’t so much as to spare Cat Walker another glance, opting to pack up the transceiver and other necessary items instead. 

‘Why would Marinette make such a request? She didn’t make me her partner for nothing.’ 

‘Need I remind you what that Guardian was trying to do the last time he saw you?’ There was an edge in Alya’s voice now. ‘If they get hold of your ring, it's likely that they will disappear completely. And along with them, possible info on Ladybug’s whereabouts. We are in no position to fight the Guardians head on. This is a stealth and observation mission.’ 

‘But what if your injury tears open in action? Vampires are going to smell you from miles away. You are aware that the sun is setting, right?’ He was the one who inflicted said injury just last night, and he would hold himself responsible by going with her. 

‘I’m also aware that I can handle them just fine. And we’re lucky that it wasn’t vampires that I am after this time.’ 

‘I'm not asking for your permission to go. Marinette needed her charm.’ 

‘Her what?’  

Cat Walker screeched into a halt in the heat of the debate and so did Alya. Did she not know about the charm? That Marinette carried the Ladybug charm that enhanced her strengths and defences? It shouldn’t be in his place to reveal what Marinette didn’t tell Alya, but the situation didn’t exactly give him that liberty. 

‘This.’ He fished the charm from his pouch. ‘Marinette let me keep this as part of our deal. And she needs it right now.’ 

‘She would have asked for it if she needed it.’  

‘Again, I’m not asking for your permission.’ 

‘Give me a good reason not to knock you out with a dart a second time.’ Alya crossed her arms. 

‘The same reason I didn’t attack you even when Marinette’s not around.’ Cat Walker replied without missing a beat.  

Alya sighed heavily at that. 

Truth was, Cat Walker wasn’t the only person Marinette asked not to come. But Cat Walker doesn’t know how to decode those clicks, so he doesn’t know any better. As for Alya, she cared too much about Marinette to follow through Marinette’s request. 

‘We don’t engage unless Marinette’s in immediate danger.’ She laid out the conditions. 

Cat Walker wanted to disagree, but he did need someone to show him the way to the Louvre if he was to get to Marinette as soon as possible. So a nod it was. 

The sun had disappeared under the horizon by the time Alya and Cat Walker made it near the Louvre. It took them a full hour to get there, no thank you to the need to go around some of the ruins to avoid blackspots for vampire attacks. To their dismay, not once in that hour-long journey did the transceiver make a sound. There wasn’t a single peep of update from Marinette. There were multiple ways to interpret the lack of communication from her, though both their thoughts swayed to the worse possibilities, it was hard not to. 

They crouched on one of the rooftops surrounding the Louvre Pyramid, scanning their surroundings vigilantly, knowing that they may already have entered the Guardians’ 'territory’. 

The square down the roof was devoid of people. The Louvre Pyramid itself was dented, glass long since shattered. Cat Walker turned his attention to the surrounding buildings searching for a hint of light. It may be a full moon that night, however, it was still dim and foggy, making it difficult to tell the shadows apart 

‘If they’re still here, they are smart enough to put off the lights.’ Alya commented as she looked into her binoculars. 

Faint footsteps caught his attention then, those that sounded from the crumbled entrance to the Louvre. 

‘Alya.’ He breathed, pulling the edge of Alya’s cloak to the direction of the sound. She shot him a puzzled look, for the sound was too faint for a human to catch just yet, but she turned her head to look at the entrance anyways. 

Luckily, Alya didn’t have to wait long to find out what it was about. 

‘We are expecting the authorities to arrive first but we’ve also been waiting for you.’ A voice broke the silence, echoing off the buildings surrounding the Louvre. 

Cat Walker recognised that voice. Su-Han. 

The Guardian was looking straight at them through the fog. Cat Walker squinted his eyes to see that Su-Han's pendant and staff were missing. 

But he wasn’t alone. Several other figures in the same uniform emerged from the hollowed door frame that once marked the entrance to the Louvre. And then Cat Walker’s suspicions came true. 

Also emerging from the doorframe, escorted by several Guardians, was Marinette. Her bandana and cloak were nowhere to be seen, probably confiscated. 

‘Authorities he said...’ He heard Alya muttering under her breath. 

‘I thought there’s no authorities in this state?’ Cat Walker asked, not taking his eyes off Marinette, who had also caught sight of them. Cat wasn’t looking forward to their next conversation, taking into account how Marinette’s eyes screamed the rhetorical question of what he was doing here. 

‘There is one, very technically speaking. Its not exactly official but not unofficial either. That’s what makes them dangerous.’ Alya whispered in reply before standing up. 

‘How do we know that you’re not yet another illusion?’ She dared the Guardians down below. 

Su-Han simply took from his pocket a transceiver and brandished it into the air. The sound of Alya gritting her teeth hinted to Cat Walker that it was probably the very transceiver Marinette used to communicate with them. Without another word, the Guardian threw it towards the building they were standing on, sending the device colliding squarely on the cracked bricks before falling back to the ground. 

‘Anything else you want to say before the authorities come?’ Su-Han prompted. 

‘Exactly what are you charging Marinette for?’ Alya raised her voice even more as she shouted from atop the roof. 

‘Being an accomplice. Your accomplice.’ He replied. ‘You fired an arrow at me, a member of the Guardian who is fighting against the vampires. Especially the vampire that's standing right beside you, might I add. The list goes on.’ 

‘Hiding the Miraculoueses with the power to stop this invasion hardly counts as fighting against the vampires!’ Alya bellowed. Cat Walker had a feeling that she had wanted to let this out for a long time. ‘And the only time you put the Miraculouses to good use was when you used Miraculous Ladybug to fix the mistake you forced your Trixx to make last night.’ 

‘The only mistake we made is to have let Fu in as an apprentice. Protecting the Miraculouses is our primary objective. Protecting the city came in second. And you and Dupain-Cheng here are making our jobs even harder when you two chose not to evacuate the city with your parents.’ 

Cat Walker doesn’t know half of the things they were saying. But there must be a reason as to why Su-Han was so generously answering their questions. Was it because he thought that they had them where he wanted them? 

Alya said not to engage, but now that they were already busted. What was the point of holding back? 

Before Alya or Su-Han could exchange another verbal attack, Cat Walker vaulted into the air with his staff, aiming his landing on Su-Han, who was standing in front of Marinette. 

Three Guardians rushed to form a barricade by Su-Han's side, two stayed by to guard Marinette. 

To their surprise, Cat Walker merely planted his baton in front of Su-Han, turning his landing into a take-off, vaulting past them without attacking. 

‘Catch!’ He bellowed mid vault, pitching the Ladybug charm towards Marinette’s direction. 

Even if Marinette couldn’t catch it, the charm should be close enough to lend her the power to break free. 

‘Get yourself and Alya out of here!’ Marinette commanded instead, not making a single move to catch the charm or escaping for that matter. Cat Walker could only watch wide eyed when a Guardian caught it instead.  

‘I’m afraid it’s a bit too late for that.’ Su-Han spoke, hand closing in on the charm the other Guardian handed him before swiftly sliding sideways, right in time to dodge an arrow Alya shot. 

Alya tsked and tried to reload her crossbow, only for three Guardians to appear around her. Behind where Cat Walker landed, three other Guardians did the same, all posed for attack until Su-Han gestured for them to stand down. ‘The vampire can summon Cataclysm wordlessly so keep your distance. I’m sure that the blogger and the vampire won’t make any more rash decisions when their partner is still here.’ Su-Han looked meaningfully at the two. 

‘You want to bet?’ Cat Walker provoked. 

‘I suppose I can tell the authorities that Dupain-Cheng here sprained her ankle in a failed attempt to escape.’ Su-Han said casually. 

Alya cursed. And that was how Cat Walker figured that the Guardian wouldn’t hesitate to act on his threat if they do anything funny. 

‘Now...’ Satisfied that he has the scene under control, Su-Han turned to Marinette. ‘Just where did you find him?’ 

Marinette only glared at him in silence. 

‘He seems to be convinced that this little charm here is what you need to turn the tides.’ Su-Han twirled the charm in his hands with mock curiosity. ‘Why is that? This is just the repellent charm for Hawk Moth’s butterflies is it not?’ 

Cat Walker couldn't make sense of what the Guardian was sputtering. Run. Was all that he wanted to shout to Marinette. The charm was in proximity, it should be enough for her to break free and make a run for it with enhanced strength, why wasn't she running?  

‘Did you use the charm to somehow convince him that you’re still Ladybug? So he would blindly sacrifice himself for you like Chat Noir did?’ The Guardian guessed offhandedly. 

Alya gasped. 

Cat’s jaw dropped. 

Marinette downright froze. 

Still Ladybug .  

Cat Walker heard his mind rerunning the sentence over and over in his head. Implications and denials overwhelming him. He hated how it could explain everything- well, most things at least. It would explain why Marinette didn’t want him to come here. It would explain why she and Alya knew so much about the workings of the Miraculouses. No one would know the powers of the Miraculouses better than the user themselves. But part of him refused to jump to that conclusion. Such a claim came from the Guardians who already lied to him once. Su-Han had to be bluffing. It had to be some sort of trick to break what fragile partnership he formed with her. Nothing was confirmed or denied by Marinette. 

But Marinette didn’t say anything against that. She just stood frozen, held upright by her escorts. Though that in itself already implied a lot. 

‘Oh?’ Their reaction didn’t go unnoticed by Su-Han. ‘Did you not tell him that you were Ladybug? How did you get that vampire to work with you then?’ He questioned, indifferent to the bombs he was setting off. 

Despite given the chance to speak, nothing came out of Marinette’s mouth, veiling the entire Louvre in silence. Cat Walker’s heart clinched at the reason why. Tears had taken the place of words, quietly rolling down Marinette’s eyes nonstop. 

So he would blindly sacrifice himself for you like Chat Noir did? Cat Walker supposed that having that spelt out for her was anything but comforting. 

‘Vampire.’ Su-Han turned to address Cat Walker, unmoved by her tears. ‘Did she not tell you that she was Ladybug?’ Asked the unfazed Guardian, even though the answer was staring at them right in the face. 

Cat Walker glared at him. 

‘Ah... forgive me, I suppose she didn’t. You wouldn’t have fallen for last night’s Fox’s illusions otherwise.’ He continued casually. ‘You wanted to know why she hasn't run just yet?’ 

Without waiting for Cat’s response, Su-Han pulled out a stone that looked a bit like a water drop. Cat Walker recognised the stone. He had a black version of it. In fact, he was wearing it right that moment under his magical suit. That was the least of his concerns, however. 

Marinette deceived Cat Walker was one thing. Marinette’s overflowing emotions was another. She was clearly not alright. And Su-Han's subordinates didn't so much as to hand her a cloth or napkin. 

‘This is the real charm that lets her do whatever feats she showed off to you. A gift and a protection gifted by a Kwami.’ Su-Han twirled the charm and the stone in his fingers. ‘Without wearing it, she loses its protection. She isn’t running because she simply can’t outrun us, not without the strength the Kwagatama gifts her.’ 

Su-Han was stalling time. Cat Walker realised belatedly. Why else would he be voluntarily giving out so much information? And then he remembered. The head Guardian was waiting for the authorities to arrive when they first walked into the open. And they were probably still waiting for said authorities. 

‘You wish to tell Ladybug what really happened to Chat Noir, did you not? She’s right here. Go on ahead, we’re all ears.’ Su-Han offered. 

Cat Walker felt his lips tighten. 

He had the story alright. Gabriel told him what story to tell Ladybug. The story that Cat Walker wasn’t sure if it was genuine or a fake or something in between. 

Thing was, finding Ladybug was not the final objective. The endgame had always been the power granted by the Miraculous of the Ladybug. That was what his father sought after. And it was clear that the jewel wasn’t in the scene. The Guardians had laid down this trap, so it was unlikely that the actual Miraculous was around. And Marinette- Ladybug- doesn't have it.  

He may not be able to outfight the guardians, but if he tried hard enough, he could probably outrun them. He could lay low for a little while, then go back to Miraculous hunting. It’ll waste some precious time, though it wasn’t like the current situation could give him answers anyways. Having found people to help him on his quest was only a bonus. He had long since prepared to do it alone. 

The charm was a fake. Marinette probably lied. The Guardians were convinced that they must retrieve the ring from him, dead or alive, meaning that having the Butterfly Miraculous no longer guarantees his safety, it never does to begin with anyways.  

Simply put, he doesn’t any reason to stick around this scene or Marinette or Alya anymore. He could just run from this. 

But the human in him wouldn’t allow such a thing. 

Just like the human in him wouldn't let him turn a blind eye to the back-alley crimes in his home city, or people who needed help like Ilia or Colin. 

His eyes glowed a crimson red, kicking off the ground with superhuman strength, speeding past the three Guardians surrounding him in a flash. 

‘ CATA- ’ He began chanting out loud, launching himself straight at Su-Han. 

‘Chaton!’ Marinette screamed, teary eyes widen in horror. It was way too soon for him to use Cataclysm again. 

The Guardians either ducked for their lives or froze in fear upon hearing the spell. Su-Han was the only exception, completely unfazed by his display. 

‘--CLY-’ 

Su-Han caught him by his wrists before Cat Walker could finish, sending him hands first towards the floor. 

Cataclysm would touch the floor the moment it activated. In the worst-case scenario the floor would collapse. But Su-Han could manage it as long as he himself wasn’t Cataclysmed in the process. 

If Cataclysm touched the floor that was. 

Su-Han did a doubletake when Cat Walker’s right hand crashed onto the floor followed by nothing. No cracked floor. No nothing. 

The last syllable of the spell never left Cat Walker’s mouth. He never planned to finish his chant, he never planned to actually use Cataclysm. 

Seizing the Guardian’s momentary lapse of concentration, Cat Walker extended the baton he held in his other hand, aiming it at Su-Han's left one, the one holding the Kwagat...—whatever that was. 

How nice of the Guardian to showcase the Kwagawhatma to him. 

Cat Walker’s eyes narrowed in complete concentration, vision tunnelling onto the precious stone falling from Su-Han's hand. Cat reached out for it, suited-up fingers outstretched and-- 

His fingers closed around the stone in a death grip. 

There was no time for celebration. His still glowing red eyes scanned the surroundings for Marinette. Luckily, she had also taken advantage of the distraction, dashing away from her captors. 

Their eyes met, an unspoken conversation passing between them. Moments later, Cat Walker was by Marinette’s side, Kwagawhatma handed over. 

Cat Walker held his baton close as he waited for Marinette to put it on. Then they would get Alya and leave. He could hear the very faint sound of vehicles gradually getting louder. Considering that he hasn’t seen a single moving vehicle since coming here, whoever own those must be someone with power. Likely the authorities then, they were probably coming. 

‘Cat Walker...’ Marinette broke his train of thoughts, the desperation in her tone sending alarms blaring in Cat Walker’s head. ‘It’s a fake.’ 

All his previous plans crumbled to pieces. It was a what? 

‘It’s my Kwagatama, not Dupain-Cheng's. The gift only works on the initial receiver.’ Su-Han cut in, turning to look at Marinette. ‘In such low lighting, it’s hard to tell dark orange from red isn’t it?’ 

Why didn’t that cross his mind before? 

‘We shoul-’ Cat Walker’s suggestion was put on pause when Marinette pulled out a pocketknife from her shoe to counter a staff aimed right at her leg. 

Su-Han actually, purposefully tried to sprain her ankle like warned he would. But there was no time to process that nor where the staff came from when Cat Walker aimed his baton at the Guardian to back Marinette up. 

The other Guardians were starting to come back to their senses once they realised that Cataclysm wasn’t activated. Kwagawhatma or no kwagawhatma, they would have to find a way out. 

‘Bring me the blogger.’ Su-Han commanded his subordinates as he leapt back to dodge the baton. 

Both Marinette and Cat Walker inhaled sharply at that. Cat Walker may not know what blogger meant, but he was positive that Su-Han was referring to Alya. 

‘T-the Cesaire girl is gone!’ A voice from the rooftop announced. 

‘What?’ Marinette and Su-Han shouted in disbelief. 

‘We looked away for a moment and-’ A Guardian on the roof didn’t get to finish when a gigantic tail wiped him off the other side of the roof, out of sight of the square. 

If Guardians weren’t looking at the rooftop then, they certainly were now. 

‘Sentimonster!’ The two remaining Guardians on the roof bellowed before they too got swiped off their feet. 

A massive black cat the height of two people crawled onto the rooftop, fur bristling as they eyed the people in the square. 

‘Mayura.’ Su-Han and Marinette voiced in unison yet again, before eyeing each other in surprise. 

‘What’s a-’ Cat Walker’s sentence was interrupted once more, yanked to a side by the belt as Marinette bolted from Su-Han. 

‘Dupain-Cheng!’ Su-Han yelled but was soon torn between facing off the sentimonster and chasing after Marinette. The black cat had leapt down the roof and onto the Louvre Pyramid, causing the already dented metal to creak at the new weight. The other Guardians looked rapidly between Su-Han and the sentimonster, indecision hanging in the air. 

For a moment, there was absolute silence. Even the sentimonster seemed to still at the inaction of all. 

Then. 

‘Prioritise the ring's retrieval!’ Su-Han's split-second decision boomed loud and clear through the square as he directed his staff at Marinette and Cat Walker’s direction. 

Of freaking course. 

What did he expect? Cat Walker wondered to himself satirically while he and Marinette continued running from the scene. 

‘Do you think you can vault us up that rooftop?’ Marinette asked between pants, tilting her head to where the black cat first appeared. 

‘If you hold on tight.’ He replied, already readying his baton for the vault. 

Behind them, the ground shook. One backward glance revealed that the cat had launched themselves at the Guardians, swiping their paw at them. Half the group was therefore forced to fight in defence of themselves, abandoning the command to chase after Cat Walker. Su-Han, however, was still hot on their heels. 

‘Hurry!’ Marinette urged. 

Cat Walker complied wordlessly, wrapping his free hand around Marinette’s waist right before stabbing his baton into the floor for the vault, launching them both up the roof. 

Su-Han leapt after them, purchasing footholds on the window ledges, scaling the wall two floors at a time. 

‘Alya?’ The moment they touched down the roof, the moment Marinette hopped off Cat Walker’s hold to scan the surroundings for her friend. 

‘Marinette.’ Cat Walker warned when Su-Han made a final leap, landing on the same roof. 

'Alya!’ Marinette tried again, straight up ignoring him. Or rather, she was too caught up in her current task to pay him any mind. 

Cat Walker’s heart clinched yet again. She sounded as wrecked as the time she was talking to Zoe and Alya. 

Could he blame her though? Cat Walker thought rhetorically as he parried a blow from Su-Han's staff, all while taking care to shield Marinette as well. 

‘You're just like Chat Noir.’ Su-Han mused while they exchanged attacks, firm wood clashing hard metal. ‘Ever so loyal, even after knowing her lies.’ 

‘At least she’s still saving people, unlike you.’ Cat Walker blurted out before he knew it. 

But he couldn’t spare a moment to process his words or his emotions when he was locked in combat with the Guardian. Although the sentimonster continued causing havoc below them, several Guardians were able to keep the black cat busy, sparing their comrades to go after Cat Walker. He and Marinette would be outnumbered soon. Not to mention the roaring sound of engines signalling the authorities’ arrival. 

‘Marinette we have to go!’ Cat Walker shouted in between clashes, his shout barely audible above the sound of the raging battle below. 

‘She can’t have gone far!’ She reasoned. 

‘Can’t she-’ Cat Walker grit his teeth as he fought on. ‘-simply be in hiding?’ 

He needed to convince Marinette to run, and fast. From the corner of his eyes, he spotted other Guardians making their way up and uniformed men climbing out of the vehicles parked in a far corner. They really, really need to leave. 

‘I know she wasn’t!’ Came Marinette’s reply. And Cat Walker would be very tempted to ask just how she could tell as such if he wasn’t so occupied. 

Curiosity killed the cat, however. His brief moment of curiosity layered on top of his urgency left him distracted for a moment. And it proved to be a fatal mistake. 

The staff connected squarely on his stomach, knocking the air out of him. 

‘Cat!’ Marinette finally rushed to his side to aid him, brandishing her pocketknife to anticipate Su-Han's next attack. 

Before their weapons could clash though, a flash of navy-blue sped past Marinette’s eyes, the blur tackling Su-Han to the side, sending dust and fog up the rooftop floor. 

‘Mayura!’ Marinette exclaimed upon recognising the suit. 

‘Where’s the Ladybug Miraculous? You have three seconds.’ Mayura interrogated the Guardian below her, pressing a fan-like weapon to Su-Han's neck. 

'You’re actually showing your face, I’m surprised.’ Su-Han began, only for his surprise attack to be blocked off by Mayura. 

‘Three.’ Mayura counted, eyes glowing in a dangerous red, literally. 

A vampire. 

Beside Cat Walker, Marinette pointed her pocket knife at Mayura. 

‘Don’t even try.’ Mayura warned Marinette and the Guardians that made it onto the rooftop, her eyes stayed on Su-Han. ‘Where is it?’ 

Su-Han stayed silent. 

‘Two.’ Mayura continued the count down. 

Blue light blinded the entire scene. 

‘Mari, hop in!’ Someone shouted in the blinding light. 

Peeking from the hand partially shielding his eyes from the intrusive light, Cat Walker spotted a mop of curly hair behind him. 

'Alya...’ Marinette whispered. 

No. Not just Alya. 

From the glowing portal where the light sprouted from , a masked girl in a blue and white suit was gesturing frantically alongside Alya for them to leap in. 

Cat Walker’ heart pounded loudly in his ears as he looked from the portal to Mayura. They were at the crossroads. 

Whoever this Mayura was, got Su-Han hostage and the Guardians in a bind. There was a chance that they might actually get the information he and Marinette so desperately needed. 

To safety with no information. Or risk their safety for possible information? 

Did the portal even equate to safety? What if that itself was also a trap? 

‘ Minibug , now!’ The masked girl hurried. 

Marinette twitched at the nickname. 

Somehow, that alone was enough to snap Marinette out of her indecision and rush towards the portal. 

‘After them!’ Su-Han commanded despite having a weapon pressed up his neck. 

‘Cat Walker!’ Cried both Marinette and Mayura, much to Cat Walker and everyone else’s huge surprise. 

Possible safety. Or possible answers? 

He cared for his father. And staying may just give him the location of the earrings he was so desperately searching for. 

In the heat of the moment, Cat Walker turned left and bolted. 

To where Marinette was heading. 

It wasn’t because he believed that his safety would be ensure if he hopped into that portal. 

It wasn’t because he would otherwise be swarmed by enemies if he stayed. 

It wasn’t even because he was following the command to put his life before his mission. 

It was just pure, unexplainable trust towards Marinette. An instinct if you will. Even after Marinette deceived him. 

No one needed to tell him what a dangerous game he was playing. He knew that full well. 

But he still threw himself at the portal where Marinette jumped into. 

The moment he hopped in, the moment the portal closed behind him, disappearing into thin air before the eyes of Mayura and Guardians as if it had never been there in the first place.

Chapter Text

‘Don’t scare me like that ever again.’ was the first thing Cat Walker heard after hopping into the portal. While he was busy blinking rapidly to adjust to the brightness of this peculiar place, Marinette was already at Alya’s side, patting the latter down from head to toe for any new injuries. 

‘I’m sorry Marinette, it really wasn’t intentional.’ Alya stood still, letting Marinette had her way with her checks. 

‘It was me, I dragged Alya in here.’ Their saviour(?) admitted. ‘I apologise for the delay in getting you and Cat Walker. But you know the drills Minibug, time is a fragile thing, I had to time the portal precisely when and where it could afford to spawn.’ 

Marinette merely gave the suited girl a nod in understanding before returning to checking up on her friend. 

‘How did you know my name?’ Cat Walker asked, certain that it was their first time meeting one another. 

‘I have my ways.’ She replied rather cryptically, ‘I’m Bunnix, and this...’ She gestured to the space around them, which was surrounded by countless blurred and moving images. ‘...is my burrow, a pocket dimension if you will.’ 

After seeing a giant black cat and a person in a peacock suit in one night, meeting this bunny themed person with a dimension of her own doesn’t seem as shocking as it should be. Still, he turned to Marinette for confirmation, despite the irony of it all. Is it true? Was what is gaze was asking. 

It went without saying that everyone in the room knew it wasn’t just Bunnix’s claim that he was seeking verification for. 

Silent fell. The only thing breaking it was the subtle static noises spilling from the blurred screens surrounding them. 

‘Yes.’ Marinette spoke at last, dropping her hands from Alya’s shoulders to look at Cat Walker properly. ‘Bunnix’s who she says she is...... and I am- ...I was who Su-Han said I was.’ 

Ah. Cat Walker thought. So it was true. 

He didn’t know what he expected. Many of Marinette’s interactions with Su-Han had already suggested such an answer. 

‘I’m sorry Cat Walker.’ Marinette apologised. ‘I...’ 

‘It’s alright, I get it.’ Cat Walker cut her in before she could lapse into an explanation. ‘It was frustrating but it was the right call. I wouldn’t have believed you if you told me about your identity in our first meeting.’ 

‘...You’re not mad?’ Marinette whispered. 

‘Not at the one who saved my life.’ Cat Walker found himself saying. ‘And the goal comes first. You’re still looking for the earrings aren’t you?’ 

What was meant to be reassuring words snapped something invisible inside Marinette. 

‘I see that it’s the earrings that you’re looking for after all.’ Marinette muttered with a strain in her voice. 

Oh. 

Oh. That.  

All this time Cat Walker had said to her that he was looking for Ladybug, not her earrings. Never the earrings. 

‘Yes, I am after the earrings.’ He admitted. ‘But I wasn’t lying when I say that I’m also here for Ladybug.’ 

‘To tell me how he died I presume?’ Marinette asked flatly, causing Cat Walker to gulp. ‘You said as such in our first meeting after all.’ 

‘Unfortunately yes. I can tell you now.’ 

‘No, tell me afterwards. We’re overstaying our welcome. Regular citizens shouldn’t stay too long in the burrow.’ She stated and Bunnix nodded in confirmation. ‘What do you want the earrings for?’ 

Marinette sounded way calmer than Cat Walker thought she would be regarding this new piece of information. 

‘To cure an illness caused by magic.’ He revealed. ‘I swear that it’s just that. I don’t care who’s keeping the earrings once the illness’ cured.’ 

‘I’ve never heard a Miraculous being used in that way before.’ Marinette raised an eyebrow. ‘Where did you get this info from?’ 

‘Well...’ Cat Walker hesitated. 

‘From your guide isn’t it?’ Alya guessed, reminding them of her presence. 

‘Guide?’ Marinette turned to her friend. 

‘Cat Walker here got a map of Paris marked with places he might find clues on Ladybug. He didn’t mark it, his guide did.’ 

Cat Walker glanced at Alya with an emotion not unlike betrayal. Although he had no intention of hiding from Marinette the fact that he was given a map, he certainly doesn’t plan to reveal any more than he needed to. 

‘Is the guide Mayura by any chance?’ Marinette asked, and the pocket dimension dropped a couple of degrees. 

‘What- no!’ Cat Walker exclaimed. ‘I only learnt her name like minutes ago.’ 

‘She called out to you though...’ Marinette thought out loud. 

‘So did you.’ He couldn’t help but mention that. ‘You called me. Why?’ 

‘...Mayura and the Guardians can’t have your ring. That’s all.’ Marinette replied simply, though she wasn’t looking directly at Cat Walker. ‘But back to the question.’ 

‘I assure you that I don’t know her. She’s probably after my ring like the Guardians.’ He promised. ‘And this portal did let me in.’ 

All heads turned to Bunnix at that, who had ample time to close the portal before Cat Walker leapt in. 

The redhead who had been silence the entire discussion shrugged her shoulders. ‘Marinette called for you and I simply did what she wanted. You know I cannot disclose anything else more than straightly necessary.’ Though that answer in itself already revealed that Bunnix doesn’t deem Cat Walker as a threat to allow him into her burrow. Either that or Bunnix was confident that she could win a fight against the vampire. 

‘I’m very grateful you came but isn’t it risky for you to intervene this directly?’ Marinette inquired. 

‘It’s a calculated risk. I’m stepping on the grey areas as we speak.’ Bunnix’s expression turned serious. ‘I have a message to deliver, from Tikki.’ 

‘Tikki...’ Marinette echoed as if in a trance. ‘I thought she is with the Guardians.’ 

‘She is. When the Miraculous was reactivated last night, I managed to get in touch with her without being detected. I would have done more than be a mere messenger if I could, unfortunately I really can’t intervene too much.’ Bunnix explained. 

‘Who’s Tikki?’ Cat Walker asked. 

‘Her kwami.’ Alya answered for Marinette. 

‘Like the fox looking creature emerged from Su-Han's pendent?’ 

‘Like yours. But yes, Trixx too.’ 

Cat Walker was once again confused by the mention of his supposed kwami and the way Alya said it like he was on the same page. However, he didn’t have time to ask for more when Marinette pressed for more information from Bunnix. 

‘What did she say?’ Marinette asked in such a soft voice that Bunnix almost missed it. 

‘That she’ll be waiting in the very bottom of the gramophone, provided that the Guardians didn’t take her elsewhere post transformation.’ 

Marinette let out a huff of bitter laughter at the information, causing Alya and Cat Walker to glance at her in concern. ‘Master Fu’s place...all this time... they were hiding in plain sight.’ She said eventually after evening out her breaths. 

‘Didn’t Fu lost his memories after the Guardians forced him to pass over the Miracle Box?’ Alya asked. 

‘He did.’ Marinette confirmed with bitterness in her voice. ‘And I lost contact with him after... that...so he might have moved out and the Guardians took over the place as a hideout.’ 

‘Can someone explain it in plain words?’ Cat Walker couldn’t help but ask. 

‘The earrings are at my old mentor’s house.’ Marinette translated for him. ‘And it’ll probably be heavily guarded.’ 

‘A raid then?’ He guessed. 

‘Depends.’ Marinette replied, then turned to Bunnix. ‘To what extent can we use the portal?’ 

‘Time travelling is off the table if that’s what you’re asking. Only fast travel is possible.’ 

Cat Walker made a face at the absurdity of the things mentioned, though he was in no place to question the existence of time travelling when he himself had the power to destroy things with a single touch. 

‘Do you think you can drop us right in front of the gramophone?’ 

‘If it’s a Guardian guarded place, its likely guarded magically as well, I only managed to create the portal on that rooftop because it was near the edge of their magical boarders. I could probably only get you somewhere near the entrance.’ 

‘What about the way out?’ 

‘I can technically open the portal where I drop you guys off....’ Bunnix started hesitantly. 

‘But since they’ll be wary of you, they may expand their magical boarders or plan an ambush.’ Marinette caught on. ‘That’d be too risky, we can’t have Fluff in their hands. This will have to be a one-way ride.’ 

‘It’s your call Minibug.’ Bunnix stated, minimizing her input. 

‘Can you also open a portal to take Alya to the main hideout?’ 

‘Woah hold up!’ Alya raised her hands in protest. ‘I decide where I want to go.’  

‘I must know that you’re someplace safe, Alya.’ Marinette plead. ‘When you went missing on that rooftop I just...I just lost it. It can’t happen again.’ 

Alya’s gaze softened at that, though that plead wasn’t enough for her to stop standing her ground. ‘It won’t. But you also must know that neither of you can risk getting caught again. Ladybug will be gone for real if you get caught and you,’ She turned to Cat Walker. ‘Will be killed right after they pry that ring off.’ 

‘I know the risks. But Tikki is my responsibility. Remember what she told Bunnix to tell me? Tikki’s waiting for me , not anyone else.’ 

‘You don’t have the kwagatama to shield you.’ Alya stated as a matter of fact. 

‘I’ll cover her.’ Cat Walker blurted out. 

All three girls in the dimension snapped their heads at him.  

‘I mean.’ He cleared his throat under their intense stare. ‘You didn’t ask Bunnix to send me elsewhere so I’m assuming that its what you wanted me to do?’  

A few steps away, Bunnix made a suppressed sound that Cat Walker strongly suspect was laughter. 

‘...Only because you’re out of options.’ Marinette side eyed Bunnix then turned back to Cat Walker. ‘You still need a map to help you navigate the roads and people at the main hideout will probably attack you on sight.’ 

‘You’re talking about walking right into the Guardian’s den!’ Alya cut in. 

‘The den that I’ve been searching for, yes. I’ll just have to be more careful before I get to Tikki.’ 

‘You’re unbelievable.’ Alya sighed, though there wasn’t any heat to her words. Alya knew better than anyone how Marinette worked, and she knew how no words would persuade her to act otherwise. ‘Fine, I’ll go to the hideout. Any message I should bring to Zoe and the others?’ 

And with that, Cat Walker knew that Marinette won the debate, somehow. 

For a place that held one of the most powerful Miraculous in the world, the security seemed laughably lacking. Either that, or they were taking the ‘hiding in plain sight’ to a whole new level. Although Marinette and Cat Walker both knew that looks could be deceiving, so far it had really been just a handful of unlocked doors and empty corridors. 

Regardless, Marinette held her dagger at the ready and Cat Walker did the same with his baton as they proceed quietly down yet another corridor. Alya had somehow predicted that Marinette would get her stuff confiscated and had hence packed extra weapons for her when they left for the Louvre earlier. Marinette would have opted to drop by the hideout for a new cloak and bandana but there was little time to waste when time was flowing normally in the burrow, meaning that each second they spent both in and out of that dimension would be a second the guardians could use to send backup to Fu’s place. So plain black pants and t shirt it was. 

Speaking of Fu, Cat Walker couldn’t help but wonder what kind of mentor he was to Marinette. With how confident Marinette was with navigating the place - even in the dark- he was willing to believe that she must have visited often. 

It was in the middle of that thought when Marinette stopped in front of a door looking no different from the rest. He looked at her, who nodded at him in confirmation.  

They were here. 

She wordlessly motioned for him to move to the side of the door while she took the opposite side. That way, they’d both be out of harm’s way should anyone attack them the moment they open the doors. She raised three fingers.  

His eyes narrowed. A countdown. 

Three... 

Cat Walker readjusted his grip on the baton. 

Two... 

Marinette did the same with her dagger. 

One... 

Marinette yanked the door open, breaking the silence as the door thumped on the hinges. 

They held their breathes. Anticipating a potential attack. 

None came. 

No staff or projectiles were aimed at them. 

At least, not yet. 

Was no one in there- 

‘Hello, Ms Dupain-Cheng.’ 

Marinette visibly flinched at the speaker’s words. Someone was speaking from within the room, seemingly already aware of the identity of their late-night visitor without laying eyes on them. 

‘I see that you brought a guest too. Did you come to steal those earrings like they predicted you would?’ The voice continued upon Marinette’s silence. 

Does Marinette know the guy behind that door? Cat Walker thought. She probably did- though he didn’t have the time to chew on that guess when Marinette leapt into the doorway and hurled a spoon at the man. It was only then did he spotted the tray of plastic utensils and emptied bowls sitting on the floor by the entrance. 

Swiftly, he trailed after her and scanned the room. An old man with short stature was kneeling on a mattress in middle of the room, looking surprisingly calm despite having a spoon flying at him. He was wearing the same uniform as the one Su-Han wore with his staff laying untouched on his right. What was more alarming, however, was perhaps how Cat couldn’t pick up the man’s scent even when he was standing right there. 

‘Where are your table manners?’ The old man questioned as he caught the spoon with ease. 

‘What did you do to him?’ Marinette ignored his question and aimed at the man with blunt side of her dagger. 

‘Holding back I see.’ He observed while countering the blow with his staff. Cat couldn’t even catch the movement he made when picking that staff up. 

‘What did you do to him?!’ Marinette repeated, using both hands to keep the dagger locked with his staff. 

‘Who?’  

Cat Walker looked past them saw it . There, sitting in the back corner of the room was a gramophone. The gramophone. He had to get to that. 

‘The name of the face you’re wearing, master .’ Marinette gritted in mock salutation. If she caught Cat’s movements from the corner of her eyes, she was doing a good job concealing it. 

‘Wang Fu?’ 

Marinette’s hardened gaze conveyed a ‘yes’. 

‘I’m still Fu with or without my memories young lady.’ The man- Fu?- said explanatorily. ‘You were my mistake, Dupain-Cheng, and I’m atoning it tonight.’ 

Hurt and disbelief flashed past Marinette’s eyes at the words. And that alone was enough for Fu to use us as an opening. Seizing his chance, the Guardian leapt sideways while hitting Cat with the staff mid jump, sending him flying away from the gramophone and towards the wall. 

‘Cat!’ 

Cat Walker’s eyes glowed red as he positioned himself to kick off the wall, using the momentum to throw himself at Fu with his baton raised. 

‘Go get that gramophone!’ Cat Walker shouted without taking his eyes off Fu. He promised he’d cover Marinette and he had every intention to commit to that. 

‘You’re a confident young vampire I see.’ Fu spoke, exchanging blows with Cat Walker. This Guardian’s move set was very similar to Su-Han's, only this time he was even more agile and slippery with that short stature of his. 

With that agility, Fu landed a clean kick to Cat’s stomach, drawing a grunt from the vampire. Not like that could bring Cat down, however. Gritting his teeth, he drew even more from his vampiric powers, hyper focusing on the enemy before him. He needed to get that staff away from the Guardian. 

If Fu was using words to get Marinette’s guards lowered, Cat would feed the Guardian a taste of his own medicine. 

‘Did you simply believe everything people feed you with?’ Cat questioned, blocking a swing from the staff aimed at Marinette who had somehow uncovered a panel of buttons attached to the gramophone. ‘But didn’t he lose his memories after the Guardians forced him to pass over the Miracle Box?’ Cat Walker recalled Alya’s words and Marinette’s confirmation of that statement afterwards. If his guesses were correct, then this Fu was like Cat himself, a man with a past shoved at him. A past where Marinette was that apprentice of his who strayed from the path. 

How ironic. He realised. Cat had been surviving on stories people fed him, first from his father and Nathalie, then from Marinette. They were all stories from the moment he learnt that he couldn’t recall a past. All stories. 

‘Their words came true didn’t it? “Dupain-Cheng and her vampire would break in trying to steal the Miraculous of the Ladybug.”’. Fu recited calmly before landing another hit on Cat Walker’s back. The Guardian leapt at Marinette right after but Cat immediately extended his baton to block Fu’s path. 

Those were all stories. And yet... 

Despite Marinette’s lies, she still saved Colin and Ilia. She still let him keep his ring. 

Fu kicked the baton away, smashing the stick onto the wall. Dust and small debris tumbled from the ceiling, though none of the three people in the room paid it any mind. Cat Walker pounced at Fu, forcing the Guardian to face him instead of Marinette. 

Whatever motive Marinette might have. Cat thought as he caught the staff Fu swung, hands throbbing at the heavy impact though he refused to let go. She kept him alive when she could easily pry that ring off his finger when she had the chance. 

‘If you aren’t going to use those earrings for the greater good, why wasn’t it in the hands of someone who actually made an effort to protect the citizens?!’ Cat bit back, hand keeping a tight grip on the staff, Fu’s main weapon. There was a ton of things he didn’t know about Marinette. But if he was to give that Miraculous to either Marinette or the Guardians, he would pick Marinette in a heartbeat. 

Speaking of Marinette, ‘It’s not opening!’ she shouted from behind Cat Walker. ‘I can’t take the whole thing either, it’s nailed in!’ 

Was that why the security was so scarce? Because it was literally impossible to open the gramophone or take it away? 

Fu discarded the staff at Cat’s temporary distraction, causing the latter to lose his balance. The Guardian's leg wasted no time closing in on him, aimed directly at Cat’s chin. A knockout kick. Cat Walker realised with dread, for he couldn’t control his fall with nothing to touch, leaving him at Fu’s mercy. 

Not that Marinette was going to let that happen. 

Running on pure battle instincts, she kicked the mattress Fu was standing on, sending the Guardian landing back first onto the mat. Seizing the moment, Marinette grabbed the Guardian’s discarded staff and pressed the tip at Fu’s neck. ‘Stay still.’ She demanded. 

Cat took that as his queue to switch roles with Marinette, rushing over to the gramophone sitting on a wooden shelf. 

Although he kind of felt bad for what he was about to do to what must be an antique, he punched the gramophone anyways with all his might, eyes glowing brightly in the dim light. 

The wall shook and cracked; his fist throbbed in pain. 

Yet not a single dent was visible on the gramophone. 

‘Stop your hands from shaking before you voice a checkmate.’ Fu chose that moment to speak, knocking the staff clean out of Marinette’s hands. She barely managed to raise her arms to block another kick. 

‘You’re too soft, Dupain-Cheng.’ Fu continued his attacks. 

‘And you’re pushing yourself too hard!’ Marinette blurted as she rolled and dodged. ‘They should have let you retire instead of this! You’re 189 already!’ 

If Cat Walker wasn’t focusing on getting the earrings from the gramophone, he would have caught the guilt and sadness oozing from Marinette’s tone. But Cat Walker was focusing on getting the earrings from the gramophone. This thing was rooted to the spot and refuse to be opened. And Marinette was clearly holding back from severely injuring her old mentor. Not to mention that other Guardians were likely making their way here too... 

Cataclysm. He chanted it in his head almost defeatedly. It was the only surefire way he could think of that moment. 

He pressed his palm on the gramophone and just like that, rust and dark particles crawled all over the antique, reducing it to black ashes in mere moments. Two hexagonal boxes fell from the ashes, and he caught both in his hands before they could clatter onto the floor. 

‘I got it, move!’ Cat Walker bellowed in the middle of forcing the bile and blood down his throat.  

‘’K!’ Marinette replied mid dodge, rolling to a side to grab the baton Cat Walker left on the floor before she too, made a run for it. 

It was a mad game of seeing who could get to the entrance first. The window frame was far too narrow for them to jump through, leaving the door as the only exit, and Fu wasn’t making it easy. The Guardian picked up his staff to trip Marinette while she was still within reach, drawing a yelp from the girl. Though she reacted fast enough to grip onto Cat Walker’s belt to catch her fall. 

‘Which box was on the bottom?’ Marinette asked while dashing past the door and through the corridors, their hurried steps echoing loudly throughout the building. Cat Walker was holding one box in each hand while Marinette held his baton for him. 

‘Huh?’ 

‘Which one was about to hit the ground first?’ Marinette supplied urgently before sparing a glance backwards, Fu was close on their trail. ‘Tikki said that she’ll be waiting in the very bottom of the gramophone. The box on the top is a decoy.’ 

Cat Walker raked his brain for the answer while making a sharp turn round the corner, replaying the scene in his head. Which one fell first? Left or right? He could ill afford a mistake now. The Guardians could plant something inside the decoy and he would rather not find out what was inside. 

They were skipping down the stairs when he finally shoved the one in his right hand to Marinette. 

‘Sure?’ 

‘Yeah.’ He promised. 

Marinette took the box and pushed the baton back to Cat’s hand, freeing her hand to open the box. 

And -- 

Oh. 

They should have seen it coming. 

The box was sealed shut much like the gramophone. 

‘It won’t open.’ Marinette panted. 

Cat Walker dropped the box on his left, leaving his hand free to try take the box from Marinette. 

‘Don’t.’ Marinette pulled it from Cat’s reach, however. 

‘But-’ 

‘You already used it on the gramophone! We’ll find another way once we get into hidi-’ Marinette almost tripped on both her words and her feet. 

Someone was blocking the building’s exit, casting shadows into the corridor. They had a staff too. 

Another Guardian. 

Of course. 

Luckily, Cat Walker was mentally prepared. It would be stranger if no new Guardian show up. ‘Behind me.’ He urged. 

Once Marinette was out of the way, he extended his baton at the man, much like what he did to Marinette at their first meeting, aiming for the dead middle. The exit was never wide to begin with, the Guardian would be forced to back away. 

And the newcomer did back away. Not without a fight, however. He took Cat Walker’s baton head on and attempt to yank it aside. Unfortunately for the Guardian, Cat Walker was stronger, ultimately pushing the man out of the way with a grunt. 

The duo made it to the open air where fog and moonlight mingled. It seemed that the full backup wasn’t here yet. Sure, Mayura had Su-Han hostage. However, Marinette doesn’t doubt that the Guardians would find a way around it. She therefore considered themselves fortunate that the newcomer came alone as far as they could tell. Though their short breath of relief was short lived. 

Behind them, Fu swung his staff, which Cat Walker dragged himself and Marinette aside to dodge. The new Guardian too, unleashed his attack, forcing Cat to once again grab Marinette and duck. Marinette got decent strength and agility even without that kwagawhatma, though Cat had to begrudgingly admit that not having the stone put her in a disadvantage. At this rate, they would be worn out before they could even think of outrunning them. 

‘Let me use it one more time!’ Cat Walker requested. ‘I’m not out of stock yet!’ He added that part cryptically, not willing to expose his need of the vials to the two Guardians, even though they may already know. 

‘You’re in no place to do that!’ Marinette rebutted, clashing her dagger with the new Guardian’s staff while holding the box in her free hand. 

It was at this moment when a glowing ball came out of nowhere, straight at Marinette and Cat Walker’s direction. 

You’ve got to be kidding. 

No wonder there was so little security. Marinette thought almost satirically, too frustrated and tired to feel mad anymore. It doesn’t matter how far she and Cat Walker take that box. What does it matter when the Guardians had a Miraculous in their procession that specialises in retrieval? She couldn’t see the new holder of the Dog Miraculous, but seeing that ball was enough confirmation. Alya was right to be this angry at the Guardians. How dare they withheld from using the Miraculouses to aid the battle for two years, yet suddenly decide that now was very suitable to use it on two teens? 

‘I’m sorry.’ Marinette gritted out painfully, throwing the box at Cat Walker without looking at him.  

She knew that hate was a strong word. Still, she hated it. She hated it so much. She hated risking her partner’s life. Alya or Chat Noir or Cat Walker alike. And especially when it came to the use of that. Though she also knew that if she doesn’t, it would all be over. Her life and Cat Walker’s both. 

Cat Walker caught the box with his eyes unmoving from the incoming ball. Although he couldn’t really see outside that tunnel vision, he could still feel Fu and the new Guardian 's eyes on him. 

They were waiting... betting. Cat realised. 

That ball must be their triumph card. 

Hence Marinette threw the box of earrings at him, away from the ball, because it’d probably all be over if the ball ever touched the box. 

As for Marinette’s apology... 

‘I just want to apologise for asking you to use it. I wouldn’t have asked that of you if I had known.’  

If she was apologising... she must be meant... that .  

CATACLYSM!  

For the second time in minutes, Cataclysm flared to life, instantly destroying 's target before the ball could reach it. Cat’s vision spun, though he caught sight of two earrings falling from the now non-existent box, glinting softly under the moonlight. Ignoring the spinning buildings and the ringing in his ears, his hand closed in on the precious jewelry before they could hit the ground.  

‘Hurry!’ Blood splattered from his mouth as he shoved the earrings at Marinette while pulling her to switch places so that he now stood before Fu and the other Guardian. 

‘You’re barely standing.’ Fu commented as he and the new Guardian pointed their staffs at him. 

Cat Walker wordlessly repositioned himself and raised his baton in return. He only needed to hold on till Marinette transforms, he reminded himself as he forced the blood down his throat. And then he could down those vials and return to battle. 

‘You came!’ A high-pitched voice sounded in the air same moment Fu and the other Guardian pounced. 

D̸̏͜ẹ̷͊̾v̶̧̢̓̿ȍ̶̢͖͝ũ̵̖r̴̩̗̀ ̶̥͝d̶͕̏e̶͙̣̅̃v̵͓̮̋̋o̶̮͚͊ư̷̜͂r̵͔̈̀-̸͉̬̚-̶̭̓̉ ̵̞̻̊-

Shut up.   

Cat Walker extended his baton on both sides and swung. 

He never saw if his swing hit it’s target, however. 

For Marinette chanted into the night sky. 

‘Tikki, Spots On!’ 

A flash of white and pink lit up the area, blinding everyone and every building in its proximity. When the light faded enough for Cat Walker to see again, it was no longer Marinette who stood behind him, but the mysterious figure in his faraway dreamscapes.  

And then it was as if the fog had lifted. She was the girl he chased after in the moonlit sky. It couldn’t have been anyone else but her. How was it possible though? He wasn’t Chat Noir. Was it the memory from the ring he was wearing? 

He had no time to brace when blood came out in a watery gurgle, choking him. 

Ḋ̴̖͔̒e̷͕̰͌̇v̶͍̹͛͒ö̸̻́u̴̠͇͑r̸̭͍͆͆Ḑ̵̧͚̗̺̜̱̙͂͛̊͋̇̏͜͝ͅȨ̴̨̢͎̟͇͕̯̺͈̫̝͔̯̼͕̐̌̚ͅͅv̴̯̻̰͈͔̞̘̥̓̉̄̈́̒̾̑̌̎ͅǪ̶̯̫̖͚̽̽̐̇͂̉̈́͜͝ư̷̢͔͚̤̼̞̠̞̳̼̂̒̍̈́̌͋̓̊͂̒̋̅̕̕̕ͅŖ̵̨̝̮̼͕̟͚͕̟̳̞̀̒̓̾́̃͗̿̄̈́̌̀̾̾̂̏̃͠ ̶͔͕̞̣͛ ̷̩̰͖͕̒̇͛͌̏̇͛̈̿̔̃͊̊́̈́̒̉̕͠͝D̴̳̮̥͙̫̦̲̀̋̆͌͒̎̉́́͒̈́̇́̌͛͗̚̚͝͝ͅȨ̷̨̻͇͇̼̺̼̈́̆͋̐́̔̈́̂̈̐̇̌̕V̶̡̢̨̛̼͙͉̯̘͖̩͈̮̗̦̝͇̰͋̊̆͌̽̇̐͋͝Ō̷͇̥͙͙̰̩͓̥̮͈͑͛̊̒̆̄̈́͊͌̀̉ͅU̸̧͉̗͍̗̱̹͖̤̔̓̏͆̉́̎Ŗ̸̡̛̛̝̠̼̳̦̩̻͇͙̳̪̹̮̘͎͋̒̊̀̔͐͗̓͊̊̏͒͝

‘Get your vials! I’ll cover you!’ He vaguely heard Ladybug’s voice before he was shoved aside with a firm yet gentle hand. She was swinging her yoyo to act as some kind of shield. 

Nodding mid cough, Cat Walker retracted his baton and reached downwards. A vial or two and that cursed voice would be gon-- 

His hand landed on empty air where his pouch was supposed to be. 

Cold sweat formed on his back. He patted it again, yet the only thing he touched was the smooth texture of his suit. Unbelievingly, he looked down. The tears were blurring his vision into blocks of colours but it was clear that the pouch wasn’t there. 

‘Pouch’s gone...’ He rasped to Ladybug. 

‘What?!’ 

Fu and his companion once again caught the moment of distraction to leap backwards, landing on a balcony. 

Only then did Ladybug spotted a third Guardian on that balcony. It was the Guardian Ladybug had been looking for since she saw that ball. The newcomer wore a brown and white suit not unlike Su-Han's with Trixx’s Miraculous. However, what got her eyes widening was the familiar pouch he held in his hand alongside the ball from earlier. 

The ball was never out for the box.  

‘His ring and your earrings, Dupain-Cheng.’ Fu demanded. The Dog Miraculous holder emphasised Fu's point, dangling the pouch in midair. 

‘If you don’t want to get ripped apart you hand that back right now!’ Ladybug warned. 

‘Considering that you’re the closest to him you’re the one most in danger.’ The Guardian beside Fu chimed in, noting Cat Walker’s heaving form. 

‘I’m serious!’ She shouted. 

‘I’m too. Your ring and his.’ Fu repeated. Then, his eyes narrowed. ‘Or does your greed for the Miraculous outweigh his life?’ 

‘I-’ 

‘Ru̷͉̬̰̥͍͔̾̐̏̏͑̋̔͠ͅn̷̡̨̛̛̯͇͈̦̪͔̱̲͎̻͐̓͒̄̄́̌̇̀̃́̆̍̿̃̀̒͋̑̓̽̈́̄̈͜͝.’ Cat choked before Ladybug could answer. His vision hadn't stopped spinning, Ladybug’s suit had long since blurred into messy patches of red and black. He could already feel the primitive growl from within his core, crawling up his consciousness. 

Ḑ̷̨̨̹̬̮͔̗̼͉̲̬̪͇͔͎̱͉̘͔̞̉̌̏̆͑Ê̴̡͇̈̊͌͑̏̐͘V̴̥̖̥̫̹̳͚͙̯̮͙̣̈́͑̇̒͗̎͋Ǫ̴͈̙̪̱͇̫̻̹̬̜̽͑͌͛͒͒̀͐̈́͘̚U̸̡̩͎̞͈̩͔̦̰͈̯̜͙͉̖̭̳͕̓̓̇̓̓Ŗ̷͍̦̗͙͉̝͇̙̓̉̄͊̂͝ ̸̢̳͍͎̳̝͍̯͇̳̭͙͔̲̭̲̹͎̔̀̓̑̈̄̈́̑͆̓͗̕͜͝͝͝ͅD̶̡̹̹͑̎́̓̈́̓̉̑̃͛̉̐͊͠͝Ĕ̵̡̡̘̗̯̝̳̣̤̉̅̂V̸̡̗̫͚͉̼̲͚̲̫̫̠͎̾̉̅̃͒͘̕͜ͅỎ̷̠̬͚̳̟͓̞̫͈͚̻͍̯͎̜̟͘͝ͅU̷̯͌̓͌̌̿̀̿͐̉Ȓ̶̛̮̬̩͓̬̘̼̙̯̾̍̌̊̃͊͗̚̕ ̶̢̧̛̳̝͔͈̞̺̍͑̉̓̽̄̃̀Ḏ̶͕̙̮̠̐͂̈́͋̀͊͗̑̽̀͆̇̈́̑̒͌͊̚͝Ȩ̴̛̮̙̞̫̮͇̹̮̦͍͖̣̟̪͍̹̹͖̝͇̿̈́͌̀̃̊͒͋͗̓̌̽͛̏̚͝͝͝͝Ṿ̴̡̢̡̤̺̪̫͙̒̂̂̓̆͋̾̅͐̚Ǫ̵̨̜̱͉͉̙̬̱͔̝̗̗̱̍̅̑́̍́̏͛̿͊̂̾̈́̃̌̇̋̀̽̇͠͠ͅU̴̡͚͇̳͚͚̹͉͍̻͓̦͌̇͂͑̔̍̈̊͛̚͜͜͠R̴̡͓͓̘͈͎̩̝̟̪̯̱̟̥̈́͜ͅ ̴̛̣͔̭̣̈́̒̏̒͗̀́̾̆̂͐̐͆̈́̈́̋̃̕

‘N̵̢̮̜͙̤͇̼̝͎͎͈̯̝̖̍̏̎̏̅͆́̓̄̐̅͐͘̕ͅơ̸̳̔̀̀̉̉̆̊̋̀̿͊̂̋̐́̑ͅw̴̫̰̫̦̦͇̝͂͋̄͛͗̅͗͑̓̄̕͘͘͝͝!’ Cat plead the same moment a blur of black zoomed past Ladybug and straight at the Guardian who stole his pouch. Cat Walker vaguely realised that he himself was that blur of black before the beast completely took over. Sharpened claws flew towards the pouch, only to be blocked by a staff held firmly in Fu’s hands the last second. An animalistic growl erupted from his throat, blood red eyes zeroed in on his target. He broke Su-Han's staff once, he could break Fu’s. 

Beside Cat, the second guardian sprang into action, staff aimed directly at Ladybug as he leapt down the balcony. Ladybug only cared for Cat Walker’s pouch, however. Once her yoyo’s wires tightened on the bars of the balcony, she zipped herself past the charging Guardian and right at the current wielder of the Dog Miraculous- 

Sunglasses. The Guardian had put on sunglasses. In the middle of the night.

A dreadful shiver ran up her spine, she recognised that particular pair of glasses.  

‘ Barkk, Kaalki-’ Chanted the transformed Guardian. 

Ladybug willed her yoyo to take her faster, to where the balcony was. But-- 

‘Unify .’ 

--deep down she knew that she couldn’t be fast enough. And getting Cat Walker’s aid had long been out of the question with how he was currenting aiming to tear Fu apart. Ladybug watched unblinkingly in slow motion as light engulfed the scene once more, casting shadow on the figures of Fu and the now feral Cat Walker. Amidst that light, she heard the next line almost as clear as day. 

‘Voyage .’ 

When the light and the holder faded away, so did Cat Walker’s pouch, and the lifesaving vials with it. 

... 

There was only one cause one course of action left to choose. 

She untangled the yoyo from balcony and threw it skywards. 

‘Lucky Charm!’ 

A smoke bomb fell into her hands. 

Beside her, Fu got pushed back by Cat, the door leading to the balcony breaking upon impact as Fu hit it. Bricks fell and dust rose, even so, the vampire’s red eyes shone through the muddled air. 

Ladybug frantically looked around her, trying to cook up a plan with the new piece of access. From below, the second Guardian was getting back on his feet. Their gaze met for a brief moment then broke apart once more as she took in other information. 

Meanwhile, Cat Walker blocked the exit to the balcony, red eyes locked onto Fu who were reaching for his staff that lay a couple of footsteps away. 

!! 

Claws that flew at Fu were abruptly yanked back centimetres from the Guardian’s arms when it caught the wires of Ladybug’s yoyo that came from nowhere. 

Ladybug panted in temporary relief of having caught Cat’s claws in time. 

‘Where did your partner take the pouch?’ She gritted over Cat’s inhuman screeches as she played a deadly tug of war with him. 

‘Give me the Miraculous and we’ll talk. Don’t you only have five minutes before you turn back?’ For someone with a rampaging vampire right in front of him, Fu sounded way too calm. 

Cat Walker screeched again, claws shaking in effort to cut off the wires, unaware that it was practically uncuttable. 

‘Easy kitty cat.’ Ladybug coaxed with her teeth bared. She couldn’t risk knocking him out when he was in extreme exhaustion or she could really kill him. 

She turned to look at the Lucky Charm held in her other hand. She knew that the charm’s usage could be direct at times, but certainly not this direct. Unfortunately, there was no time to pounder. Fu and that other Guardian would be up on their feet in no time. If she doesn’t use it and just cast ‘Miraculous Ladybug’, all of Paris would know their location. Although the Guardians were probably already on their way, it wouldn’t be wise to confirm their suspicions. Between not using it at all and betting on her guts, there really was only one choice to begin with. 

Decision made, she tugged her yoyo with all her might, yanking Cat Walker to her side the while activating the smoke bomb and threw it into the air. 

Smoke burst out almost immediately, swallowing the entire area in red smoke, mingling with the already thick fog. Fu exclaimed and leapt at them, but Ladybug was faster. By the time he and that other Guardian reached the edge of the smokescreen, Ladybug and Cat Walker was already nowhere in sight. 

Beep beep beep beep  

The nostalgic beep of the Miraculous rang loudly in Ladybug’s ears. 

‘We’re almost there, Cat.’ Ladybug told at the vampire she was holding in death grip, even though she knew that words were probably all gibberish to the feral Cat Walker. He was biting and scratching at her arm demanding for blood. It was only thanks to her suit that her arm was still intact from bone to skin. 

For now, at least. 

Beep beep beep.  

Sounded those nostalgic rings again. 

She swung them over yet another cracked rooftops and a series of bent lampposts, the once familiar rush of wind whooshing past her ears. However, she had no time to feel anything over being Ladybug once more. 

. 

. 

. 

Two spots. 

. 

. 

. 

One spot. 

. 

. 

. 

Ladybug rounded the final corner and crashed down a hatch on a certain balcony, sending the two of them tumbling into the interior of a house right when the final beep sounded. 

Her suit morphed into thin air, followed promptly by Tikki spiralling out of the ring. 

‘Marinette... why didn’t you cast the-’ Tikki asked dazedly but gasped midsentence when she spotted the feral vampire before them. 

‘Hey kitty cat.’ Marinette greeted him as if it was their first meeting. 

Ḑ̷̛̛̹͎̗̘͎̳͇͇͛͛̿̈́̃̀̂̃̆e̷̳̗̣̤̍̈̀͆͂͑̓̄͝v̸̮͗̇̓̈́͘ͅọ̶͇͓̠͑͜ų̶̹̲̩̝̫͔͍̀̍ͅr̸̡͉̼̗͕̞̥͇̠͈̗͒̀͋͂̊̃̔ ̴̹̱̦͚͖̬́̋̂̒̐̔͗̊͋͠͝D̷̡̖̬͇̺̹̘̳̓̒͒̾̋́̃͌̽͂͘é̵̛͖̻̞̑̑̓̕v̶̛̱͚̊̌́̀̐̈́̂͜͝͝ǫ̵̧̗̠̼͈̼͎͍̼̬̏͐u̵̜̯͕̾́͒̂̋̒̑̔͆̓r̶̛͚͎̟̲̥̹͔͗̂͆̽̀̅͐͛ ̶̟̟̣͉̼̖̥͙̗͆̈́̍͒͗̍̈́̿̽̕͘Ḍ̸̩͕̓̍e̵̮̮̩͇͌́̉̂͗͝v̶͍̮͛̈́̆ȏ̴̧̥͚̩̖̮̰̻́̐̑̇̊͋̐͝͠͝ǘ̵̡̺͇̪̬̞̖̝͔͒͌͒͗ͅr̵̛̛͈̰̲̻̯͉̪̥̊̃̃͆̆̕̕͝͝ Marinette could almost hear the chant in his blood red eyes. 

Cat Walker got to his feet from where he tumbled from her earlier, gaze never leaving Marinette. He was closing in on them, bloodied fangs glistening, though Marinette made no move to run despite her pounding heartbeat. Tikki darted her widened eyes back and forth between them. 

‘Don’t stop him okay?’ was all Marinette said when Cat Walker pounced. 

‘Marinette!’ Tikki squeaked in terror when Cat Walker knocked Marinette off her feet, slamming her back first onto the floor. The kwami rushed forward only to be blocked by Marinette’s shaking hand. 

‘Don’t stop him.’ She repeated, panting, turning the plea into a command, the first time she had ever did so to Tikki since they first met. ‘You hear m-’ 

The sentence was cut off by her pained cry as sharpened canines dug deep into her neck, drawing blood immediately. Cat Walker wasted no time sucking the fresh blood from the new wound, clawed hands gripping his prey still, nearly tearing off the fabric. The intoxicating smell of blood wafted the air, driving the already feral vampire to the very core of his predatorial instincts. 

Marinette’s breathing hitched, her body blaring alarms at her to stab the threat with her dagger and run. The dagger was nestled right inside her pocket, completely within reach. Though she fought the impulse and instead gripped a fistful of Cat’s hair in a failed attempt to alleviate the pain. In the two years she fought without the Miraculous, not once had she got herself bitten. There were close calls but there wasn’t a single vampire who managed to touch her neck, let alone bite on it, until now that was. And it was agonising to say the least. Whoever depicted blood sucking as pleasurable in movies and books should be fired, for each suck sent a sharp current of agony to her overworking mind.  

But the vampire continued his feast, drowned far too deep in his feral instincts to notice his partner’s state, or the loosening grip she had on the back of his head. The more he drank, the more he thirsted. His prey’s blood was nowhere near as potent as those special ones Gabriel packed, though it was still the precious drink his body desperately needed. Hiccups and hisses from his prey had hence all went unheard in his ears. Just a bit more and he’d recover. 

... 

.. 

. 

Just a bit more and it’d be over... The thought floated in the back of Marinette’s head. The sensation of pinpricks started jabbing her wound, followed by a wave of dizziness. The ceiling was spinning and her head pounding. How did that happen? It doesn’t really matter though... does it...? 

... 

‘M...tte...Marinette!’ A high-pitched voice cut through the haze. Had she fallen asleep? It was Tikki wasn’t it...? 

‘M’... fine.’ She tried to assure her kwami, though the jumbled words falling from her trembling lips weren’t helping her with her point. Cat Walker was still not done feeding. That was how famished and exhausted he was. How long had it been? She couldn’t tell. 

Tikki was right to be concerned though, neither of them knew how long this could keep going till the blood loss becomes fatal. Yet the same goes for Cat Walker. Neither of them knew how much of her blood was needed for him to return to normal. Marinette couldn’t let Cat Walker die. She lost Chat Noir, she wasn’t ready to lose another partner. 

Shakily, she brought her numb hand back to the back of Cat Walker’s head, carding her fingers through the greenish golden locks of hair. Her hand couldn’t feel properly, then again, it reminded her of the times she caressed Chat Noir’s hair through her gloved hand. 

Her Chat Noir who would probably never come back.  

The thought of that blurred the ceiling into splotches of colours as tears streamed down her eyes, dripping onto the floor with the overflowing blood gushing from her wound. She had been such a cry baby lately. She shouldn’t cry... Alya would get upset too... 

But the tears wouldn’t stop when she went down that line of thought on people she had lost. It never stopped. 

Her hand kept stroking those locks of hair like it was a lifeline home... and back to better days...  

Her Chat Noir would probably never come back... and he could never be replaced ...this Cat Walker however... could still... 

‘Come back to me... Mon Chaton...’ She breathed into his hair, barely audible against the sound of her own blood getting sucked out. 

Ah... and him too.  

He might just come back too... 

By some miracle... 

Eventually... 

‘...Adrien...’ She felt the name slip past her lips. 

The sucking paused abruptly. Although Marinette was too delirious to notice it until later. 

Is it... over? The words floated into her head. 

It was just the sound of their breathing that echoed the room now. 

The fangs were gone from her neck. Since when...? She didn't know.

She only knew that she missed the warmth. She felt so cold... 

‘...Mari...nette?’ She heard Cat Walker stutter in her haze, followed by a sharp gasp right after.  

‘Marinette- oh Gods I...’ He choked. A gloved hand flew to press onto the wound on her neck, while another gently lifted her back up from the cold floor.  

Ah... Marinette let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. He was back. 

There was only one thing left to say. 

With great effort, she forced those heavy eyelids open. 

This close, she could finally see relatively clearly. Cat Walker looked absolutely worried and terrified. But his eyes were back to its gorgeous green. Their eyes all shared the same shade of green... don’t they?  

Marinette felt a tired smile tugging on her lips.  

‘Welcome back...’ She slurred before slumping limply into his arms.